The New York Yankees saw manager Aaron Boone ejected for the first time this season during Thursday’s 11-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium, following a disputed balk call that shifted momentum in the late innings.
Boone said he was simply looking for clarity on the decision when the situation escalated. “I still haven’t got good clarity,” Boone said, according to MLB.com. “I just wanted to hear their explanation.” The ejection came from home-plate umpire Will Little after Boone questioned the call involving reliever Ryan Yarbrough in the eighth inning.
The play in question occurred with Mike Trout at the plate, who sets a Yankee Stadium record. Yarbrough was called for a balk on a two-out pickoff attempt, allowing runners to advance into scoring position. Boone believed the play was a routine attempt to catch Zach Neto, with first baseman Ben Rice involved in receiving the throw. “I think it’s a fine play,” Boone said.
The situation quickly turned costly for New York. After the runners moved up, Trout was intentionally walked before Jo Adell delivered a grand slam that broke the game open for the Angels.
Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the Yankees discusses a call with umpire Lance Barksdale #23. Elsa/Getty Images
Boone frustrated by lack of explanation after key moment
Boone’s main frustration was not just the call itself, but the lack of communication afterward. “I wanted what I thought should have been more of an explanation,” he said.
The ejection was the 47th of Boone’s managerial career, continuing a trend of frequent disagreements with umpires over the past several seasons. He has been among the most ejected managers in baseball in recent years.
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For the Yankees, the sequence proved costly in a game already slipping away, as the Angels capitalized with a big inning that sealed the result late at Yankee Stadium.
