NEW YORK — It was a bad night for the Aaron Boone haters.

It would have been easy for Boone to write Ryan McMahon’s name on the lineup card Tuesday night with the Athletics starting right-hander Aaron Civale. The New York Yankees had planned on having a straight platoon at third base this season, with McMahon facing right-handed pitching and Amed Rosario playing against lefties. Civale entered Tuesday’s game with close to neutral splits, though, so Boone opted for Rosario in a low-risk, high-reward possibility.

McMahon has had a brutal start to the season. His .363 OPS is among MLB’s worst, and his defense has not been to its usual elite level. Rosario entered Tuesday’s game with just six at-bats all season, as the Yankees have only faced one left-handed starter (San Francisco’s Robbie Ray) through 10 games.

So, with McMahon scuffling and Civale’s splits, it made sense to give Rosario the start. He responded by blasting two home runs, both against righties, justifying Boone’s decision and leading the Yankees to a 5-3 win, pushing their record to an AL-best 8-2.

Will you accept this Rosario?🌹 pic.twitter.com/r0SQEfsPia

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 7, 2026

In the second inning, Rosario turned on an up-and-in sinker offering from Civale for a no-doubter over the left-field wall. The offense then went mostly cold until the eighth inning, when former Yankee Mark Leiter Jr., who carded a 4.89 ERA in 80 games across two seasons with New York, entered the game.

Leiter allowed four runs, including Rosario’s second blast, a three-run homer that was tattooed. Rosario equaled the number of homers he hit off righties last season in just one game.

“We don’t win that game without him,” Yankees starter Cam Schlittler said.

Boone could have pinch-hit for Rosario in the sixth inning, with right-handed reliever Justin Sterner in the game. Sterner entered having allowed a .733 OPS by righties, versus .517 from lefties, so Boone followed the splits and left Rosario in the game.

While Rosario did not come through there, hitting into a 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, Boone did tell The Athletic before the season that he wanted to be more platoon-conscious this season, an area in which he felt other American League East teams excelled. He made a decision that was not popular during Sunday’s game when he pinch-hit the struggling José Caballero for left-handed-hitter J.C. Escarra against the Miami Marlins. The splits said that was the right call in that moment, too, it just didn’t work out.

Rosario facing Leiter required a similar decision. Because of his splitter, lefties struggle against Leiter, while righties crush him. So, while the Yankees didn’t have the platoon advantage on paper, it would not have made sense to turn to McMahon against Leiter. Staying with Rosario, even against another righty, paid off, even if Boone didn’t want to take credit after the game.

“I just like seeing our guys have success,” Boone said. “It’s about the Yankees. You’re invested in these guys, and you always get excited when they do well. We brought Rosie back because not only is he a really good player, but he’s a tremendous teammate and sets an amazing example for everyone.”

When the lineup for Wednesday’s game is released, Yankees fans could be in for a surprise. It’ll be a shock to see Rosario’s name listed with the starters, even after his offensive explosion on Tuesday. That’s because the Athletics are scheduled to start Luis Severino, who overpowers righties. McMahon will likely be starting at third base. The faster fans can accept the Yankees opting for platoon advantages, the easier the next 152 games will be.

The Yankees will face several left-handed starting pitchers in the days ahead, so Rosario should be back as soon as Thursday against Jeffrey Springs. But if McMahon continues to struggle, Boone may not have much of a choice but to abandon the platoon plans.

“Competition is always a good thing,” Boone said.