stone. LOUIS – Once again, Aaron Boone’s boiling point is reached thanks to the cricket umpire’s strike zone judgment.
On a stifling 95-degree Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium, Yankees manager ejected for sixth time this yearinto the top of the fifth inning.
St. Louis Cardinals complete three-game sweep after a frustrating afternoon 12-9 victory in front of 46,472 fans.
Thousands left the field before a match that lasted 4 hours and 25 minutes was over. It was the longest nine innings in Major League Baseball this season.
Leading the NL Central Division, St. Louis (60-48) held a one-point lead in the eighth inning before Paul DeJong’s latest series favorite, a three-run homer from Scott Effross, Provides a four-point buffer.
The Yankees (70-39) have lost five straight, all of which came after their starter Frankie Montas’ disappointing debut after Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline. The game, he lasted three innings and scored six points.
“We lost some games that we’ve always been winning,” Boone said before the game, which has gone 9-16 since July 9.
“We need to lock it down and start winning some games that we know we’re capable of winning,” Sunday’s game qualified; the Yankees outscored Cards 16-11, leaving 12 on base and seven in scoring position.
Combined with Toronto’s win, the Yankees led the AL East with 9.5 games, but it was the first time they didn’t lead by double digits since June 15.
Boone wasn’t the only Yankees unhappy with veteran referee Ed Hickox’s interpretation of the zone, with DJ LeMahieu and Josh Donaldson reacting to the alleged strike.
Boone’s anger started to bubble in the Yankees’ fifth-quarter midfield, where Marwin Gonzalez hit the ball at the bat and no one was out – watching a breakout Strikeout.
After Aaron Judge tied it 6-6 on two runs from the midfield wall, Matt Carpenter made it 1-0 with a wide pitch in what was called a strike.
This was the pitch that detonated Boone, who came out of the dugout with a towel around his neck and ignited the Hickox that had been thrown at him.
At the end of his tirade, Boone walked behind the plate, showed Hickox what he felt was missing, and clapped his hands loudly to end his statement with an exclamation point.
It was later announced that pitching coach Matt Black was also ejected along with Boone.
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Montas, a valuable right-hand starter acquired at the trade deadline, arrived in St. Louis on Saturday night. Sunday’s debut with the Yankees was unforgettable.
Pitching on an 11-day break, due in part to time spent on the bereavement list, Montas went 4-1 and exited after three innings.
Nolan Arenado followed Montas’ first-inning RBI single with a three-run homer in the second. The six runs is the most Montas has allowed in 21 games this year.
Before the game, Boone said that Montas was at pitching limit (he threw 64 pitches). It was Montas’ third start since he missed two rounds in early July with right shoulder inflammation.
