Yankees Shutout By A's After Boone Was Given An Early Exit

Aaron Boone having his say with the crew chief, Umpire Marvin Hudson, while the home plate ump, Hunter Wendelstedt, looks on. Photo by Jason Schott.

 

It was a manic Monday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, as the Yankees were shutout by an old friend and the Oakland A's, 2-0, after their Manager, Aaron Boone, was ejected soon after the first pitch.

With most of the crowd yet to file in for the 1:07 first pitch, Yankees starting pitcher Carlos Rodon hit Oakland's leadoff hitter, Esteury Ruiz, with a pitch in his right foot, or back one in his stance his he's a right-handed hitter.

It was clear Ruiz got hit, although it took him a few seconds to react, maybe because he also was in the midst of swinging at the pitch.

The Yankees asked for an appeal at first base, and the umpire there, John Tumpane, ruled he did not swing. Then, the craziness between the home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt and Boone began.

The Yankee skipper, in his postgame press conference, said it was "hard to" wrap his head around what happened before describing what happened. "I really didn't even go after Hunter; I was more upset, you know, on the appeal, and I said, 'Hunter, you can call it, too,' and he came back at me pretty hard, to which I didn't respond. I just said, 'ok,' went down, it's embarrassing, it really is a bad - it's embarrassing." 

Boone then was asked if he reaches out to Major League Baseball about what happened, he said, "Yeah, I mean, yes, but, just you know, not good."

There is video documenting Wendelstedt saying to Boone, "I don't care who said it," after he had ejected Boone, thinking he yelled something at him when, in reality, Wendelstedt heard a fan sitting behind the Yankee dugout.

Boone was asked if Wendelstedt saying that to him escalated things, and he said, "Sure. Again, he came at me hard, and I really didn't have issue with him, other than saying, 'you can make that call, too,' to which he made his point of 'hey, I got to see this,' and I said, 'ok,good.' I kind of gave him a thumbs-up, stood down, I mean, I think everyone saw what happened."

Boone pointing to the stands as he argues with Wendelstedt. Photo by Jason Schott.

Then, when he was asked if he has any history with Wendelstedt, Boone said, "No, no, go back with Harry and Hunter, and just, not ok," and then he was asked if he understands it in any way and he said, "I don't, I don't I mean, obviously, you know, he's out here, day game, I was pretty fiery initially, just wanting to make my point with John at first, like 'hey, you know, obviously he got hit, but it was pretty clear to me he took a swing at it, too, but and then, he made his point back firmly - Hunter did - that was it...

"I heard somebody yell, but again, I was standing down (on the dugout steps), and I heard, 'you're gone, Aaron!' and that's when I was like, I couldn't believe it."

On his conversation with the crew chief Marvin Hudson, who was serving as the third base umpire, Boone said, "Yeah, I mean, Marvin's just trying to defuse the situation a little bit, and kind of like, 'you made your point,' I'm like, 'I really didn't make my point,' you know." 

Aaron Boone and Marvin Hudson during their discussion. (1 of 2) Photos by Jason Schott.

Boone gestures toward the plate during his chat with Hudson. (2 of 2)

Once play resumed, Ruiz was then caught stealing and Rodon got a pair of groundouts to third base to get out of the inning, beginning a stretch in which he retired eight straight hitters.

Rodon then ran into trouble in the fourth, as Ruiz drew a walk and Tyler Nevin was hit by a pitch, but he got out of it with a fly ball to right field by Brent Rooker, a strikeout of Shea Langeliers, and Abraham Toro popped out to shortstop.

The left-hander went seven innings, his longest outing of the season, as he allowed no runs on just one hit, two walks and two hit-batsmen, while striking out four. He lowered his ERA (earned run average) nearly a full run, from 3.66 to 2.70, while his record remains at 1-1.

Carlos Rodon pitching to Esteury Ruiz in the fourth inning. Photo by Jason Schott.

The problem for Rodon was that he was matched round-for-round by JP Sears, Oakland's starter who the Yankees sent there in the regrettable Frankie Montas trade two years ago.

Sears went six innings, and he allowed just three hits and a walk, while strikeout out seven. 

Boone said of Sears, "I thought he threw the ball, you know, watching it on TV, you know, that fastball, kind of slider/sweeper combination's pretty real, and he came in, you know, his last two starts throwing the ball really well, by just watching on TV, he looked really good against us."

Sears also lowered his ERA nearly a full run with this performance, from 4.35 to 3.38, with his record remaining at 1-1.

Oakland had a golden opportunity to take the lead in the eighth inning, as they loaded the bases with two outs on Ian Hamilton, but he struck out Langeliers to get out of it.

The A's were right back at it in the ninth against left-hander Victor Gonzalez. Abraham Toro led off with a single, and and then Zack Gelof blasted one to right-center field for a two-run shot to put them ahead.

After Lucas Erceg pitched two scoreless for Oakland, Mason Miler came on to close it out.

The right-hander proceeded to strike out Anthony Volpe, Juan Soto, and Aaron Judge in order to end it, and earn his fifth save of the season. 

Erceg earned the win, his first of the season (1-1), while Gonzalez took his first loss, to leave him also at 1-1.