NEW YORK — An overturned call at the plate in the eighth inning led to the latest loss in what has become the New York Yankees' worst season in decades.
The Yankees extended a losing streak to eight for the first time in 28 years, allowing Justin Turner's ninth-inning go-ahead double in a 6-5 defeat to the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. «We got to be unbelievable the rest of the way,» manager Aaron Boone said after the Yankees dropped to 60-64 and fell nine games behind Seattle for the AL's last wild-card spot. «We're really scuffling.» New York appeared to break a 5-5 tie in the eighth when Isiah Kiner-Falefa scored from first on rookie Anthony Volpe's single.
Plate umpire Junior Valentine signaled safe, ruling Kiner-Falefa's left foot got in ahead of Connor Wong's tag, but the call was reversed in a video review, which also upheld the catcher did not block the plate in violation of rules. «I got the go sign, went in there,» Kiner-Falefa said. «I didn't feel like I had a lane.
I think the rule is if you're catcher and you've over the foul line it's considered blocking the bag right there. The ball did beat me but I didn't feel like they had enough to overturn it.» Kiner-Falefa took off from first right before Volpe made contact.