Yankees manager Aaron Boone ejected for 5th time this season

ST. LOUIS (AP) — New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone was ejected for the fifth time this season, tossed for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the third inning of Sunday's 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.

Plate umpire Dan Merzel ejected Boone with a 0-1 count on Gleyber Torres after Boone complained from the dugout over a 3-1 pitch to the previous batter, DJ LeMahieu, that was called a ball despite appearing to be well above the strike zone.

“The sensitivity on that and just the quick throw out was brutal, was ridiculous,” Boone said. “You’ve got to have thicker skin than that. You’ve got to have a little bit of room to let us say something. We said one thing, hand up, out. That’s wrong, in my opinion.”

Boone became involved in a lengthy argument with Merzel and crew chief Lance Barksdale after the ejection.

“I think Dan is a really good, young umpire,” Boone said. “I really do. I thought he had a lot of tough, close calls today. I've had some good interactions with him. I think that the rope and the leash was very short though. I had a real problem with that."

Boone's five ejections top all major league managers this season, one more than Minnesota's Rocco Baldelli, Cincinnati's David Bell and San Diego's Bob Melvin. Boone led the majors with nine last season, when no other manager had more than five.

Boone also was ejected against Cleveland on April 12, against Toronto on May 15, against Cincinnati on May 21 and against Baltimore on May 25. He served a one-game suspension following the ejection against the Orioles, with MLB citing his conduct toward umpires.

Boone has been ejected 31 times as a manager, sixth among active managers behind Texas' Bruce Bochy (80), Melvin (58), Cleveland's Terry Francona (47), the New York Mets' Buck Showalter (36) and Colorado's Bud Black (35).

Bench coach Carlos Mendoza took over as manager.

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