Yankees manager Aaron Boone had other plans.
With runners on second and third with two outs and a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning, Boone issued an intentional walk to Cabrera in his last at-bat to load the bases and create a lefty-on-lefty matchup with Austin Meadows and reliever Lucas Luetge, which triggered a loud chorus of boos and “Yankees suck” chants to break out.
Boone’s strategy ultimately backfired as Meadows followed with a two-run single that capped the scoring in the Tigers’ 3-0 win.
Once the inning ended, Cabrera gestured to the crowd to settle down and pointed to the scoreboard as he walked off the field.
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Here’s some social media reaction to the intentional walk: