TORONTO _ Brett Gardner's boiling point was reached _ and then some _ on Friday night, sparking a few minutes of rage toward plate umpire Chris Segal at Rogers Centre.
In a lengthy tirade, the Yankees outfielder had to be restrained by manager Aaron Boone and bench coach Josh Bard from going after Segal.
Lost in the commotion was another lackluster performance by J.A. Happ.
The ex-Blue Jays left-hander yielded three home runs in five innings and Toronto rolled to an 8-2 victory, snapping the Yankees' season-high nine-game winning streak.
And it's not clear whether Gardner should have been the focus of Segal's original punishment.
After Cameron Maybin was struck out looking, Mike Tauchman took a Sean Reid-Foley pitch for a strike _ a call that was met with vocal disapproval from the Yankees' bench.
Segal apparently ejected Gardner for his reaction to the call, though Boone was also seen to be chirping.
As Boone came out to argue with Segal, an incensed Gardner came out of the dugout, shouting and gesturing toward the plate umpire.
There was no physical contact with the umpires. Gardner eventually went back to the bench and into the clubhouse. Tauchman completed his at-bat by hitting a home run, his 12th of the year.
Aaron Judge, who was getting a rest from the starting lineup, entered the game for Gardner in right field, with Tauchman moving from left field to center and Maybin moving from right field to left.
It's possible that Gardner could be facing a possible one-game suspension because of his aggressive actions.
Friday night's battle was reminiscent of last month's sensational Boone argument with Brennan Miller, after the rookie umpire called Gardner out on strikes.
Enraged by Miller's strike zone, Boone defended Gardner _ who applauded from the bench _ by yelling that his Yankees were "(expletive) savages in that box," and that Miller ought to tighten up his work.
In taking the argument directly to the umpire, Boone brushed up against Miller's cap and was given a one-game suspension, which he immediately served.
At one point during his manager's classic go 'round with Miller _ which gave birth to several t-shirts to commemorate the moment, worn by Yankees players _ Gardner slammed his bat several times against the rack and the dugout roof.
On Friday, Gardner became the first Yankees player to be ejected from a game since Sept. 27, 2018, when CC Sabathia was tossed at Tampa Bay for nailing Jesus Sucre with a pitch to his lower body _ a retaliation for the Rays throwing behind Austin Romine in the same game.
In all, it was a feisty moment during an extended period of euphoria for the Yankees.
With home runs by Tauchman and Mike Ford, the Yankees have hit multiple homers in eight straight games, their longest such streak since a club record nine in 2009, their last world championship season.
Following Thursday's 12-6 win at Toronto, the Yankees had set a new MLB record with 19 home runs in a four-game stretch.
That topped the previous mark shared by the 2000 Astros, 1996 Athletics and 1977 Red Sox.
Happ was shaky from the start, yielding a two-run homer to Randal Grichuk and a solo shot to Teoscar Hernandez, the first of his two on the night.
But the one that really hurt was No. 9 hitter Danny Jansen's three-run homer in the third.
Jansen was given a new life when first baseman D.J. LeMahieu lost sight of his foul pop up in the twilight, with the roof open at Rogers Centre.
The ball dropped near the stands instead of falling in LeMahieu's glove for the third out and Jansen made Happ and the Yankees pay.
In the eighth inning, reliever Tommy Kahnle threw a fastball up and in on Vlad Guerrero Jr., who blankly stared at the right-hander and took his time getting back in the box.
Whereupon, Kahnle appeared to shout something back at the rookie. Nothing more came of that exchange.
