Aaron Boone got tossed last night, his fifth ejection of the season, and while his Yankees managed to pull out a 6-3 extra-inning victory against the Angels, his fury was absolutely understandable. New York had already done the hard work of taking control of Wednesday night’s game, only for Boone to find himself watching from the clubhouse after a truly disputed check-swing call. He wasn’t about to let that go without making his feelings known.
The Tenth Inning Showdown That Sent Boone Packing
The whole thing blew up in the bottom of the 10th inning. Yankees reliever Michael Fulmer was on the mound facing Angels infielder Vaughn Grissom. It was a 1-2 pitch, and Grissom appeared to check his swing. First-base umpire Junior Valentine ruled that he did not go around. If you saw the replay, though, it certainly looked like Grissom’s bat traveled far enough to warrant a swing. That was enough to send Boone storming out of the dugout, ready to argue. He went after Valentine and, sure enough, got ejected. Not long after, pitching coach Matt Blake got tossed too. It was Boone’s fifth time getting sent to the showers this season, and given the circumstances, you just know he was boiling.
The Replay Doesn’t Lie: That Bat Went Around!
Check-swing calls are some of the toughest for umpires to nail in real time, no doubt about it. But this one? From the side, it looked especially questionable. The replay clearly shows Grissom’s bat getting well past the point where most folks would call it a swing. If Valentine had changed the call, it would’ve been a strikeout and the first out of that crucial 10th inning. Instead, the at-bat continued. Boone’s reaction might have been aggressive, but he had a legitimate argument. This wasn’t just him beefing about a borderline strike. There was a strong visual case that the Angels hitter absolutely went around. Fortunately for Boone and the Yankees, it didn’t end up costing them the game. New York had already scored five runs in the top of the 10th to build a 6-1 lead before the Angels mounted a late rally. The Yankees still escaped with the 6-3 victory.
Boone will probably look at that replay and feel even more justified in his decision to go out there. Sometimes, getting ejected is just worth it. The Yankees face their next opponent tonight, looking to build on that extra-inning win, and you can bet Boone will be keeping a close eye on the umpiring.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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