DETROIT — Gio Urshela knows that you have to take what baseball gives you. So Friday night, when veteran home plate umpire Vic Carapazza gave Urshela a base on balls after just three balls in the sixth inning, the Yankees third baseman scooted out of the box and ran to first.
“I think Gio wasn’t quite sure as he ran up the first baseline, but he wasn’t going to question it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before Saturday’s game against the Tigers at Comerica Park. “Ball four!”
The Tigers dugout didn’t notice it either and it did not end up playing into the Yankees’ 3-2, 10-inning loss, but it was a key talking point on TV and social media.
Even the Yankees dugout didn’t notice.
“I didn’t realize it until later last night,” Boone said. “And Gio said something like ‘How about that walk?’ And I honestly didn’t even realize it. That’s pretty wild. That’s pretty wild. Unfortunately didn’t put us over the top.”
Urshela was not in the lineup Saturday as the Yankees try to manage a knee issue. Giancarlo Stanton was also not in the lineup, a planned day off after his first game back from the injured list with a left quad strain.