NEW YORK _ Just call them the New York Savages.
The New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays were attempting to cram two games into one day before a storm rolled through the Bronx and the first one was delayed for nearly 90 minutes. Maybe tensions were higher than normal or maybe everyone was already annoyed and ready to play two.
The Yankees won the first game 6-2 and eventually went on to sweep the doubleheader, but not before manager Aaron Boone managed his way into viral video-stardom thanks to a young umpire.
Home plate umpire Brennan Miller, a seven-year minor league umpire who made his big league debut earlier this season, called an inconsistent strike zone at best from the start of the first game. It wasn't long before the Yankees snapped.
Tied 2-2 in the bottom of the second, Brett Gardner took a questionable called third strike, a 97-mph sinker that missed inside and unloaded in the dugout. Boone had some choice words for the umpire from the dugout but the umpire wanted no part of it.
Miller ejected the New York manager, prompting him to come out of the dugout and deliver an expletive-filled tirade. Boone feigned sympathy for his tough day at the plate before describing the Yankees as "savages" in the batter's box and telling Miller to "tighten it up" as he clapped his hands in the umpire's face.
"Sometimes in the heat of battle, you just say things," Boone said.
The skipper was ultimately trying to prevent one of his players from getting ejected. Gardner was banging on the walls and the roof of the dugout while Boone was out on the field in the face of Miller and catcher Gary Sanchez had been vocal in the first inning about his pitcher, Domingo German, getting squeezed.
"I certainly didn't want anyone else getting tossed," Boone said. "We were pretty heated there, several of our guys there in the first couple innings, so I just felt like it was necessary in that spot to kind of take the attention off the other guys."
Boone took a gamble by guaranteeing his removal from the game but it paid off.
"I loved it," German said through translator Marlon Abreu. "He went out there and fought for us, so I felt that it was my responsibility to go out there and return the favor."
The Yankees did return that favor, proving to be exactly what Boone said they were: Savages in the box. The key moment came when they rallied for three runs off Yonny Chirinos (8-5) in a decisive fifth inning.
Gary Sanchez broke the 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth when he hit a hard grounder to left to score Aaron Judge. Tampa Bay third baseman Yandy Diaz couldn't handle the 110-mph screamer and Judge scored from third. The rally continued with two outs when Luke Voit snapped a 2-for-18 skid to score Aaron Hicks and Gio Urshela, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored to finished a triple short of the cycle, doubled to score Sanchez and put the Yankees up 5-2. Hicks made it 6-2 in the sixth with a solo shot off Ryne Stanek.
It was Urshela who tied the game in the second with his ninth home run of the season.
"He continues to be huge for us," Boone said. "Domingo gives up the two hits for us in the first inning and Gio gets us right back."
The Rays led off the game with back-to-back home runs off German (12-2). Those two homers would be the only two runs allowed for German, who limited the Rays to four hits, walked two and struck out five to win his third straight decision.
The Yankees won the second game 5-1 though theatrics of the nightcap couldn't quite match those of the matinee.
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of his perfect, former Yankee great David Cone threw out the first pitch and Luis Cessa (1-1) turned in a strong performance in relief, throwing 3 1/3 shutout innings.
Chad Green loaded the bases in the first inning before getting out of a jam to kick off a bullpen game. Nestor Cores Jr. allowed the Rays' only run of the game and Voit tied it with his 18th home run off the season, taking Charlie Morton (11-3) deep in the fifth to tie the game.
The wheels fell off for Tampa Bay one inning later. With the bases loaded and one out, Morton didn't see catcher Mike Zunino call a timeout and he balked in the go-ahead run. Didi Gregorius then singled through the gap to shallow right field to plate two and he took second base on a throwing error by centerfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
Gregorius came around after Morton was pulled and Andrew Kittredge issued a bases-loaded walk to complete the Yankees' four-run inning and put New York up 5-1.
