Gelof hits a two-run homer in 9th to lift A’s over Yankees
Zack Gelof hit a tworun homer off of Victor Gonzalez in the ninth inning, and the Oakland Athletics stopped an eight-game losing streak in the Bronx by beating the Yankees, 2-0, on Monday afternoon following the ejection of New York manager Aaron Boone just five pitches in.
After New York’s Carlos Rodon and Oakland’s JP Sears matched each other with shutout ball, Abraham Toro reached off of Gonzalez (1-1) leading off the ninth when the pitcher slipped while trying to pick up his dribbler between the mound and the third-base line.
Gelof hit an opposite-field drive into the right-field seats on a flat sinker for his third home run this season.
Lucas Erceg (1-1) pitched two innings and Mason Miller struck out Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto and Aaron Judge to remain perfect in five save chances, finishing a three-hitter and the fourth shutout against the Yankees in 23 games this season.
Oakland, which arrived after getting swept in a three-game series at Cleveland, had not won at the Yankees since 2021.
Judge was 0 for 4 with a pair of strikeouts and a double-play grounder, dropping his average to .174.
Ian Hamilton had gotten Shea Langeliers to swing under a high 96.1 m.p.h. fastball on a full count to strand the bases loaded in the eighth.
Boone was ejected over a remark from a fan behind the dugout aimed at the plate umpire.
Esteury Ruiz was hit on the back foot by a Rodon slider, Boone questioned whether Ruiz swung at the pitch and Hunter Wendelstedt ejected Boone after a fan behind the dugout yelled at the umpire.
Rodon allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings, Nick Allen’s twoout single in the fifth, and lowered his ERA to 2.70.
He has given up three runs or fewer in all five of his starts.
Former Yankees pitcher Sears had a great start for the Athletics, giving up just three hits in six shutout innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.