Things got chaotic in Oakland as the Yankees faced the A’s in a game filled with questionable calls and heated reactions. One of the early turning points came in the third inning when an A’s runner stole third. The call on the field was safe, but replays showed the glove touched the jersey before the hand reached the bag. The Yankees had no challenges left, so the bad call stood. Manager Aaron Boone lost it, yelling at the crew and calling out umpire Will Little. Frustration boiled over, especially since the Yankees had already burned a challenge earlier in the game.
Later, a wacky double play added more confusion. The A’s challenged the out call at first, convinced the throw wasn’t there in time. Slow motion showed the ball entering the glove just as the runner’s foot came off the bag. It looked like the runner might be safe, yet the call stood. Manager Bob Melvin stormed out to argue. He wasn’t even mad at the third base ump, just wanted answers. He got tossed anyway for asking too many questions. Will Little, again at the center, looked unsure about the whole thing.
In another odd sequence, Little called a balk on Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes from the third base position, a rare move. Neither the players nor the Yankees’ coaches could believe it. There’s a blurry line for lefties on pickoff moves, and the replay didn’t offer a clear answer. Nestor, clearly annoyed, sarcastically tipped his cap to Little and kept jabbing about it into the next inning. Tough night for the umpires. Even tougher for the Yankees trying to deal with a system that’s supposed to fix mistakes but still lets the wrong calls decide big moments.