Tempers boiled over during and after yet another defeat for the New York Yankees, with manager Aaron Boone scolding his side's efforts and imploring them "to play better".
The Yankees suffered a familiar fate on Saturday, losing 5-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays as the New York franchise succumbed to a 15th defeat in just 19 games.
Gerrit Cole voiced his frustrations throughout the match and was caught on camera banging on the dugouts in anger, yet that fury could not stop the Yankees from further squandering their advantage at the top.
The Yankees entered the All-Star break with a 64-28 record but have since gone 9-20, with their AL East lead over second-placed Toronto down to just seven games.
Boone offered his honest thoughts after defeat on Friday, but was enraged by yet another failure the following day as he doubled down on his comments and urged his side to improve.
"We have to play better. Period," he said, pounding the table as he spoke. "And the great thing is, it's right in front of us. It's right here, and we can fix it.
"It's there and we can run away from this thing. And we got the dudes in there to do it. But we have to do it. If we don't score, it's tough to win.
"The good thing is we are in first place. We get to write the script the rest of the way. No one else can get in our way if we go play our game."
Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge echoed Boone's sentiments, though he suggested his side will bounce back sooner rather than later.
"We're not happy about it. If you lose one game, or if you lose 10 games, you're not happy at all," he added.
"But if we sit here and stay frustrated about one game, it's going to lead into the next game.
"So, it's about us picking ourselves up, and not forgetting we're the New York Yankees. And we have to go out there and show people that."
The Yankees will look to avoid a four-game sweep against Toronto on Sunday.
Diamondbacks acquire slugger Suarez from Mariners
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Eugenio Suarez from the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday in an attempt to bolster a position that lacked power during the team’s run to the World Series last season.
Arizona finished tied for 28th in Major League Baseball in 2023 with only 10 total home runs by its third baseman. Suarez, meanwhile, hit 22 homers of his own for Seattle.
“It adds a little bit of stability at that spot,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. “He’s a guy we’ve liked for a long time.”
Suarez, 32, was a 2018 All-Star for the Cincinnati Reds, who traded him to the Mariners in March 2022.
He’s hit .248 with 246 home runs and 730 RBIs in 1,313 career games for Detroit, Cincinnati and Seattle.
The Mariners acquired reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala from Arizona, which lost in five games to the Texas Rangers in the World Series after going 84-78 during the regular season.
Aaron Nola staying with Phillies on 7-year contract
Starting pitcher Aaron Nola has agreed to a seven-year contract to remain with the Philadelphia Phillies, multiple media outlets reported Sunday.
The deal is worth a reported $172million, as the Phillies keep a cornerstone piece in their rotation.
Nola, 30, is the first major free agent to come off the board in a class that is headlined by two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani and includes fellow hurlers Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery.
Nola has spent his entire MLB career in Philadelphia and has finished in the top five of Cy Young award voting twice.
The right-hander saw his numbers slip a bit in 2023 with a 4.46 ERA but rebounded in the post-season with three quality starts and an ERA of 2.35 over 23 innings.
Nola and Zack Wheeler make up one of the best and most reliable rotation duos in baseball.
Since 2018, Nola has thrown 1,065 1/3 innings, the second most in the majors over that span. Wheeler is fourth on that list with 1,007 innings pitched.
Nola is one of five pitchers with at least 200 strikeouts in each of the last three seasons.
Nola was the priority in a vital offseason for the Phillies after making it to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS last season but falling short of a title.
In 235 career starts, Nola has a 3.72 ERA and has 1,582 strikeouts in 1,422 innings pitched.
Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas approved by MLB owners
The Athletics’ move from Oakland to Las Vegas has been approved by Major League Baseball owners.
The 30 franchise owners voted unanimously in support of the team’s move from California to Nevada, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred acknowledging that it was a “terrible day” for fans in Oakland.
The Athletics executives reached an agreement to build a new stadium in Las Vegas in May after the state’s legislature approved public financing towards the construction.
The Athletics have been based in Oakland since 1968, having previously been in Kansas City and Philadelphia.
MLB commissioner Manfred told a press conference: “I know this is a terrible day for fans in Oakland. I understand that, and that’s why we’ve always had a policy of doing everything humanly possible to avoid a relocation.
“I truly believe we did that in this case. I think it’s beyond debate that the status quo in Oakland was untenable.
“I absolutely am convinced that there was not a viable path forward in Oakland. We look forward to being in Las Vegas; there’s tremendous support locally for having the A’s there. We do believe over the long haul that Las Vegas will be a great asset to Major League Baseball.”
The Athletics’ owners had been unable to find a solution to keep the team in Oakland, with their existing Coliseum home in need of redevelopment.
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