Boston: The New York Yankees may have lost more than just a regular season game as they might have to make do without pitcher Michael Pineda after he was ejected on Wednesday for using pine tar.

Starting pitcher Pineda is likely facing a suspension after he was tossed in the second inning of a 5-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox after umpires discovered pine tar on the side of his neck.

“You could see it. I could see it from the dugout. It was confirmed by a number of camera angles in the ballpark,” said Boston manager John Farrell of the pine tar.

With two outs and Grady Sizemore batting in the bottom of the second, Farrell complained to home plate umpire Gerry Davis about a substance on Pineda.

Davis touched a brownish substance on the right side of the pitcher’s neck and immediately ejected him from the Major League Baseball contest.

The 25-year-old Pineda was also embroiled in controversy when he faced the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium earlier this month, as television cameras showed the right-hander with a brown substance on his right palm.

No protests were made by Farrell during that contest, in which Pineda held Boston to one run over six innings. The Yankees won that one 4-1.

“Given the last time we faced him, I felt like it was a necessity to say something,” Farrell said. “You know, I fully respect on a cold night you’re trying to get a little bit of a grip, but when it’s that obvious, something has got to be said.”

Pitchers are not allowed to put any foreign substance on the ball or their bodies, and they can be suspended for breaking the rule.

Two years ago, Tampa Bay’s Joel Peralta was slapped with a eight-game ban after he was found to have pine tar in his glove.

“I think we are all embarrassed,” said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. “This is a terrible situation. We all took ownership to it. Obviously, there is clearly a failure and a breakdown for him walking out of that dugout with something like that.”

Pineda allowed two runs in the first inning before his ejection and was handed the loss. Pineda said he used the pine tar because he had trouble gripping the ball in the first inning.

“I apologise to my teammates and everybody. I won’t do it again,” said Pineda.

“It was cold. I couldn’t feel the ball in the first inning and I didn’t want to hit nobody.”

He left the field to loud jeers from the Fenway Park fans.

“I don’t think he was trying to cheat. He was just trying to go out there and compete,” New York manager Joe Girardi said.