Boone dubs Yanks ‘savages’ during rant in 6-2 win over Rays
NEW YORK (AP) — The Savages of The Stadium. That’s what the New York Yankees are in the mind of manager of Aaron Boone.
Boone got fired up at rookie umpire Brennan Miller in a profane second-inning rant , and New York awoke from a sleepy start to rally past the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 in a doubleheader opener Thursday that reopened a seven-game AL East lead.
After Domingo Germán gave up homers to his first two batters, Gio Urshela hit a tying home run in the second off Yonny Chirinos. And then Boone indelibly imprinted his temper on the Yankees season.
Brett Gardner took a 1-2 splitter on or off the inside of the plate for strike three, returned to the dugout, slammed his bat into the helmet cubbyholes nine times and then eight times into the dugout roof. Microphones caught Boone yelling that the pitch was outside to Miller, a Triple-A International League crew chief who made his big league debut April 20 as a call-up umpire.
Miller said, “I heard you, Aaron,” and when Boone persisted, the umpire ejected him. Boone ran out and kept up the argument, getting close to Miller’s face and clapping his hands for emphasis in a profanity filled performance that would have made Billy Martin proud.
“My guys are f—— savages in that f—— box, right? And you’re having a piece of s— start to this game. I feel bad for you, but f—— get better,” Boone said, going on to repeat his thoughts several times. He told Miller to “tighten it up right now, OK?”
Chirinos had thrown a 1-1 pitch to Aaron Judge in the first that appeared to be low before dropping a splitter into the strike zone for strike three.
“Just a big game, and just felt like some things weren’t going our way there early, and it felt like it needed to be known,” Boone said. “Sometimes in the heat of the battle, you just kind of utter some things. But I feel that way about our guys, no doubt.”
Boone was tossed for the third time this season and the seventh time in two years as a big league manager. Gardner applauded after Boone’s tantrum.
“Certainly didn’t want anyone else getting tossed. We were pretty heated there, several of our guys there in the first couple of innings,” Boone said. “So I just felt it was necessary in that spot to kind of take the attention off some of the other guys.”
After Wednesday night’s rainout was rescheduled as part of the doubleheader, the start was delayed 1 hour, 26 minutes because more rain was forecast. Austin Meadows homered on Germán’s fourth pitch and Díaz on his eighth , both curveballs.
Germán (12-2) rebounded to win his third straight start since recovering from a hip injury, allowing four hits in six innings. Boone’s tirade inspired him.
“I loved it,” Germán said through a translator. “Personally, I fed off that energy. It gave me a boost to concentrate and go out there, do my job and try to get this victory for him, because he went out there and fought for us. I felt that it was my responsibility to go back out there and return the favor.”
Gary Sánchez smashed a go-ahead 110 mph single off the glove of third baseman Yandy Díaz during a three-run fifth. Díaz had helped the Yankees come alive when he dropped Didi Gregorius‘ leadoff popup in the second for a two-base error.
“Just with the breeze, it kind of was moving one way or the other,” Díaz said through a translator.
Luke Voit singled in a run in the fifth and Urshela had an RBI double as part of a three-hit game that raised his average to .308. Aaron Hicks added a sixth-inning homer.
Chirinos (9-5) gave up five runs — four earned — and nine hits in five innings, including the 17th homer he allowed this season.
Charlie Morton (11-2) was to start the second game for the Rays and Chad Green (2-3) for the Yankees.
DRAWING BOARD
Gregorius, adding to his Twitter emojis after Yankees win, debuted his Instagram portraits of Yankees teammates this week with Edwin Encarnación with a parrot on his right arm, a reference to Encarnación’s parrot wing motion during home run trots.
ANNIVERSARY
David Cone threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the second game on the 20th anniversary of his perfect game against Montreal.
BUCK’S BACK
Former Yankees manager Buck Showalter, let go by Baltimore at the end of last season, is working this week as a studio analyst for the Yankees’ YES Network.
FOUR HOLE
Kevin Kiermaier hit cleanup for the first time in his big league career and went 1 for 4 with a double.
TRAINER’S ROOM
RHP Luis Severino and RHP Dellin Betances (lat strains) threw on flat ground for the second straight day and third time in four days.
UP NEXT
Rays: Tampa Bay had not announced a starter for Friday’s game at Baltimore.
Yankees: Pushed back because of the rainout, LHP J.A. Happ (7-5) is slated to start Friday against Colorado and LHP Kyle Freeland (2-6).
