Cole tossed, then Boone, but Yanks hold off Sox
Yankees starter Gerrit Cole and manager Aaron Boone were both ejected from Friday night’s game against the Red Sox for arguing…
Marly RiveraESPN Writer
NEW YORK — New York Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole and manager Aaron Boone were both ejected from Friday night’s 5-4 win over the Boston Red Sox for arguing with plate umpire Brian Knight about a called ball that preceded a game-tying home run in the sixth inning.
Cole’s 1-2 pitch to Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo — which in replays appeared to be low in the strike zone — was called a ball, and his ensuing pitch, a 100 mph four-seam fastball, was drilled by Verdugo over the right-field fence for a three-run homer that tied the game at 4.
Cole then struck out J.D. Martinez to end the inning; as he was walking off the mound, he started screaming at Knight, who promptly motioned for Cole to be ejected. At that point, an exasperated Boone started arguing with Knight in support of his starter and was also tossed.
It was Boone’s ninth ejection this season, which, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, is the most in a season by a manager since Bobby Cox in 2007 (10).
Cole has now allowed 31 home runs this season, the most in the American League and second most in all of MLB, behind the Washington Nationals‘ Josiah Gray.
Cole finished the game having recorded 8 strikeouts over 6 innings, giving him 244 for the season — the second most in a single season in Yankees history. He is only four punchouts away from surpassing Ron Guidry’s franchise mark of 248, set in 1978.
Yankees pinch-hitter Harrison Bader drew a two-out walk in the eighth and was credited with a stolen base when a wild pickoff attempt by Boston’s Matt Strahm allowed him to reach third. Jose Trevino singled home the tiebreaking run on the next pitch. Jonathan Loaisiga pitched two scoreless innings for the win, working around a pair of one-out singles in the ninth.
Aaron Judge was held without a homer for the third straight game, keeping him at 60 for the season and one shy of Roger Maris’ American League record.
The first-place Yankees reduced their magic number to five for clinching the AL East title.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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