Zack Gelof hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning and the visiting Oakland Athletics eked out a 2-0 victory over the Yankees Monday afternoon in a game that featured a bizarre early ejection of New York manager Aaron Boone.
After loading the bases in the eighth, Oakland finally broke through against Victor Gonzalez (1-1). After Gonzalez slipped trying to field an infield single by Abraham Toro, Gelof blasted a 2-2 sinker into the right-center field seats.
Oakland reliever Lucas Erceg (1-1) got a double play in the eighth to set the stage for Gelof’s third homer of the season, a drive that stopped Oakland’s eight-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium.
Mason Miller blazed through the ninth by striking out the side for his fifth save. He reached 103 mph on a whiff of Juan Soto and ended it by fanning Aaron Judge on a 102 mph fastball.
JP Sears, whom Oakland acquired from the Yankees in 2022 for Frankie Montas, limited his former team to three singles in six innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked one in a 91-pitch outing.
The Yankees lost for the fifth time in eight games and were blanked for the fourth time this season.
New York starter Carlos Rodon pitched seven sharp innings, allowing only a single to Nick Allen in the fifth. He struck out four and walked two.
Rodon also hit two batters, including Oakland leadoff man Esteury Ruiz, who opened the game by being hit on the foot.
Soon after Ruiz reached, Boone was tossed by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt.
After Oakland’s Tyler Nevin started his at-bat, audio on the YES Network clearly picked up Wendelstedt yelling at Boone in the dugout.
“Guess what. You’re not yelling at me, I did what I’m supposed to do and checked!” Wendelstedt said. “I’m looking for him to get hit by the pitch! You got anything else to say, you’re gone! OK?”
Cameras showed Boone not saying a word in response, yet Wendelstedt ejected him moments later. Boone responded by coming out of the dugout to say he did not say anything and that a fan behind the Yankee dugout was yelling. Wendelstedt countered by saying, “I don’t care who said it, you’re gone.”
–Field Level Media