To say things didn’t go well for the Boston Red Sox in their first game of a doubleheader Saturday against the New York Yankees would be an understatement. The Yankees crushed them, 9-2, in Game 1, during which both manager Alex Cora and starting pitcher Chris Sale were ejected.
Both had some issues with home plate umpire Mike Estabrook in a game in which Sale lasted just 3 2/3 innings.
Leading off, Yankees first baseman DJ LeMahieu homered off Sale in the bottom of the first. The Red Sox tied it up in the second thanks to a home run from Andrew Benintendi.
But things took a sharp turn for Sale and co. in the fourth when both he and Cora were ejected. Cora had apparently had enough of Estabrook’s strike zone and told him so during a visit to the mound. And seconds after Estabrook joined them, Cora was quickly tossed.
Here’s how the Associated Press described the exchange between Cora and Estabrook when the Yankees had a 2-1 lead:
Cora, not pitching coach Dana LeVangie, went to the mound, talked to Sale and then cursed at Esterbrook. Immediately tossed, Cora pointed nearly two dozen times at various Yankees runners and the plate, accusing Easterbook between profanities of missing at least five strike calls.
Unsurprisingly after giving up seven total runs — six in the fourth inning — Sale was pulled from the game and was fuming. On his way out, he shouted some NSFW words at Estabrook, who then tossed the left-handed pitcher for good measure.
Sale now has a 0-4 record with a 9.90 ERA against the Yankees this season — he’s also 5-11 overall in 2019 — while the Red Sox are now on a six-game losing streak. Three of those Ls were to the Yankees.
Game 2 of the Red Sox-Yankees doubleheader Saturday starts at 7:05 p.m. ET.
