UMP’S LAST LAUGH
TIGERS 11 YANKEES 7 After Friday meltdown, Boone forced to sit out loss to Tigers
Aaron Boone paid the price for flipping out on an ump, and so did the Bombers.
The first-year manager was forced to sit out the Yankees’ 11-7 loss to the Tigers on Sunday for his antics earlier this weekend, and his club looked lost without him.
Lance Lynn, who had been a solid trade deadline addition, could not make it out of the fourth inning, allowing six runs on nine hits over 3.2 frames.
Aaron Hicks and Luke Voit homered and Miguel Andujar continued his torrid pace with three hits, also scoring three times. Gleyber Torres had a two-run single in the ninth. But it was not enough offense to make up for the early hole dug by Lynn.
Giancarlo Stanton sat out his first full game for the Yankees since May 28. Manager Josh Bard, filling in for Boone, sent up Walker and Bird as pinch-hitters in the eighth.
Walker singled to bring home a run and cut the deficit to 8-5, but Bird flew out with the bases loaded.
“(Stanton) was available, but we were going to make sure that it was to win the game and we thought the matchup was good for Birdie right there,” Bard said.
The first baseman has been stuck in a funk and has lost playing time to the hot-hitting Voit, who also struck out in the eighth inning with the bases full.
Boone had been suspended earlier in the day by MLB for nicking plate umpire Nic Lentz with his hat while complaining about the strike zone Friday.
“Obviously, I got a little too close for comfort there, so that’s part of the deal. I just got to accept that,” he said before
Sunday’s game.
“Look, I was arguing. I got kicked out of the game. I reacted how I reacted. Unfortunately, I got a little too close, so I do regret that,” he said. “I always want to be in control, in control of my emotions to a degree, but sometimes you also have to state your claim and defend certain things that are important. But I definitely shouldn’t have nicked his cap.”
The 45-year-old skipper also squatted like a catcher to prove his point, a new twist to managerial arguments.
Asked if this was something he could keep in mind for a similar situation in the future, Boone said: “Yeah, or just flip the cap around backwards and let ‘er rip.”—