Yankees manager Aaron Boone was thrown out of the game for the fifth time this season, preventing New York left fielder Alex Verdugo from also getting ejected during Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Boone got ejected before the seventh inning by umpire Edwin Jiménez for shouting from the dugout after Verdugo was called out on a full-count pitch from Colin Poche that looked low. Verdugo expressed frustration after the call, which was the first out in the bottom of the sixth.
“It’s an emotional moment,” Boone said. “You understand the frustration, so I was just trying to divert attention in that situation.”
Boone went onto the field to argue more closely after his ejection. He led the majors with nine ejections in 2022 and tied for the lead with seven last year. He has been ejected 38 times since becoming manager in 2018.
With New York down 3-0, Verdugo fell behind 0-2, worked the count full, and took a low fastball from Poche, tossing his bat and starting toward first base.
“I saw that pitch come out of his hand well. I knew it was low, and I was already heading to first when I heard Boonie yell, so I turned back and the umpire said, ‘Yeah, it’s a strike,’” Verdugo explained. “I kind of — I don’t know — let some emotions out. It’s part of the game.”
Verdugo went 0 for 4 and is hitless in his last 19 at-bats, with just one hit in his last 28, lowering his average to .228. His .143 average since June 15 is the lowest among qualified batters in the majors, and he has hit 56 ground balls to second base.
“When I hit to the opposite field, that’s when I’m at my best,” Verdugo noted. “That’s when I’m patient and staying through the ball, keeping my swing compact. At first, I started pulling the ball too much and fell into bad habits, with my front shoulder opening up and my hips pulling toward first base. It’s tough. I’m not trying to hit ground balls to the pull side.”
