Boone ovation after standing up for Judge fuels Yankees' 6-1 win over Orioles

In a 6-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, the New York Yankees received a standing ovation for manager Aaron Boone after he was ejected in the fifth inning while arguing a pair of calls involving captain Aaron Judge. The ejection was Boone's seventh of the season, tying him with Oli Marmol for the major-league lead. The moment came with the bases loaded and one out, with New York ahead 3-0, as Judge came to the plate and had two inside pitches ruled strikes to put him in a 1-2 hole.

Boone's absence did not derail the Yankees. Judge delivered a two-run single through the middle to extend the lead and help seal a 6-1 win. Judge said he did not hear Boone's clash with home-plate umpire Ramon De Jesus and was surprised by the ejection, adding that he did not agree with the calls but stayed focused. "I didn’t really hear [Boone] even say much, so I was surprised he got tossed there. But definitely a big spot where you can put the game out of reach. I didn’t agree with the calls, but you gotta stay focused. It only takes one pitch. That’s why you get three strikes. Always appreciative when Booney has our back," Judge said. The Yankees dugout was not pleased, and De Jesus — who ejected José Caballero earlier this month in Houston — evidently heard enough to give Boone the hook.

Judge later reflected on the moment amid the win, with Boone using the incident as a rallying point for the club as it heads toward the postseason. In the morning, the team had discussed several roster-management considerations for October, a theme that carried into the game as New York continued to lean on its depth.

Giancarlo Stanton’s second-inning home run moved him past Carl Yastrzemski for sole possession of 40th place on the all-time homers list with 453. The next targets on the list are Jose Canseco and Adam Dunn at 462, a reminder of the franchise’s long history of producing some of the game’s most prolific sluggers.

J.C. Escarra joined the Yankees on the taxi squad Saturday, keeping open the possibility that the club carries him on its postseason roster. Having a third catcher would give Boone greater flexibility to pinch-hit or pinch-run for Austin Wells and/or Ben Rice late in games when both are in the starting lineup (Rice at first base). Boone added, "I don’t know yet. We’ve been so consumed with this. Once we get through [Sunday], we’ll start to have all those conversations in earnest. J.C. has been a big part of our team this year and certainly important to have him here."

The Yankees have another group of players working out in Scranton to stay ready should they need an injury replacement during the playoffs. Saturday’s crowd pushed the Yankees to their 20th sellout of the season, matching their second-most at the current Stadium, behind only the 23 sellouts in 2018.

As the regular season winds down, Boone’s club is balancing adjustment and preparation, using moments like this to emphasize accountability and readiness. The win over Baltimore keeps New York in firm pursuit of October baseball, with the postseason roster and strategic tweaks likely to take clearer shape in the days ahead as the team closes the schedule.