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Red Sox win a freak double challenge at the plate
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was originally called a safe, but the Red Sox challenge and call were overturned. Afterwards, the Yankees challenged to shut out the plate, but the call stood.
NEW YORK – A tipped call at the plate in the eighth inning resulted in the final loss for what became the The New York Yankees’ worst season in decades.
The Yankees extended their losing streak to eight straight for the first time in 28 years, allowing Justin Turner to double in the ninth inning in a 6-5 defeat of the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
“We’ve got to be unbelievable the rest of the way,” head coach Aaron Boone said after the Yankees fell to 60-64 and fell nine games behind Seattle to claim the club’s last wild card.
“We really quarreled.”
New York appeared to break the 5-5 tie in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored from the first on rookie Anthony Volpe’s single. Plate umpire Junior Valentine signaled it safe, as Kenner Valeva’s left foot stepped ahead of Connor Wong’s mark, but the call was reversed in a video review, which also upheld that the catcher had not blocked the plate in violation of the rules.
“I got the go-ahead, and I got in there,” said Kenner Valeva. “I didn’t feel like I had a passer. I think the rule is if I’m stuck and it crosses the foul line, it counts as a sack block there. The ball beat me but I just didn’t feel like they had enough to turn it over.”
Kiner-Falefa took off first right before Volpe made contact. He raced home after left fielder Rob Refsnyder slipped before hitting a layup to shortstop Trevor Storey.
“From the start I thought he was out,” said Boston coach Alex Cora, who had been ejected twice earlier for arguing with the third batter and watched the key play from the clubhouse. “I was wondering why Junior was waiting. He waited and waited for him to call him safe and I was like what he’s doing.”
Swept in back-to-back series runs by Atlanta and Boston, the Yankees lost eight straight for the first time since August 19-26, 1995, when Buck Showalter’s final team fell to 53-58 before finishing 26-7 for a sweet spot. . A year later, the Yankees won the World Series.
But those days seem long ago in the Bronx, especially after the season two sweep at the hands of the rival Red Sox.
“You always have a chance,” Boone said, “but we’re in a lot of trouble right now.” “But you can’t even get a big picture about it. I just got hooked the next day. That’s where we are right now.”
New York, in danger of ending its streak of 30 consecutive winning seasons, is 24-39 since June 4 — the day after basketball player Aaron Judge tore a ligament in his right toe at Dodger Stadium.
“Every loss at this point is difficult,” Volpe said.
Turner had four RBIs for Boston, is 8-1 against the Yankees this year and has won seven in a row against New York.
“They beat us,” said Kenner Valeva. “I feel they swing well. They have a good game plan. They are better than us now.”
With the score at 5-5, Pablo Reyes singled out Clay Holmes (4-4) ahead of the ninth and stole second, walking Alex Verdugo. Turner doubled to the right caution lane on sinking.
“He’s a good hitter,” said Cora. “He’s a great captain and I’m glad he’s playing with us.”
It was Turner’s first hit of the season that gave the Red Sox a lead of the ninth or so and the sixteenth of his career. Turner hit . 372 with runners in the scoring position in his first year with Boston after a decade with the Dodgers and bats . 395 against the Yankees.
“That header feels like a real playoff, especially in those last three back-and-forth innings and the fans were in,” Turner said. “It was good to get this win.”
The Red Sox swept the Bronx Series for the second time in three seasons. Boston won for the eighth time in 11 games and stayed three games behind Seattle.
Chris Martin (4-1) allowed two hits in the scoreless eighth, and Kenley Jansen got his 29th save in 32 opportunities. Greg Allen doubled off the ninth and DJ Limahiew hit a groundout, but Jansen hit Judge and Torres, then Ben Rortvedt retired on a fly.
“For a decade, I’ve seen Mr. Clutch do his thing,” said Jansen, Turner’s longtime Dodger teammate.
Rafael Devers scored in the first off of Clark Schmidt and scored on Volpe’s layup, but Kyle Higashioka and Jiliber Torres hit the game in the third and sixth off Nick Pivita.
New York has won 17-0 in the first two innings of its past five games.
“We have to win,” said Boone.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
