Starling Marte’s bizarre day at the ballpark ended early after he was ejected for arguing a strikeout call.
The Mets right fielder, who was part of an unfathomable double-play in the second inning, was called out looking by home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez in the top of the fourth against the Guardians at Progressive Field on Monday.
The pitch from starter Ben Lively must have looked outside to Marte – though it appeared to just get the corner.
Marte shrugged his shoulders in frustration and appeared to turn back slightly to voice his displeasure to Gonzalez before tossing his bat toward the Mets’ dugout with the inning over.
SNY’s camera didn’t catch the actual ejection because according to the broadcast, Gonzalez tossed Marte as he was making his way back to his position in right field.
“I was surprised that he ejected me there,” Marte said through an interpreter. “I felt like I had a case at that point to just tell him what was going on and I felt he had called a lot of bad pitches at that point throughout the game. When that is happening and the situation that we’re in I felt it was appropriate for me to say something to him.”
Marte, with Harrison Bader close behind, walked back to home plate with his arms out looking for an explanation from Gonzalez.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza also went to have an animated chat with Gonzalez about his decision.
Tyrone Taylor replaced him in the game.
SNY analyst Ron Darling took issue with the time of the ejection.
“The umpires always have ‘you can’t argue balls and strikes,’” Darling said. “A guy’s walking out to his position, just let him be. Let him go out and play. No one’s here to watch the umpire. They’re here to watch Marte.”
Marte’s day started strangely as he hit into a 1-6-5-3 double-play as J.D. Martinez was tagged out in a rundown off second after a comebacker to the pitcher and Marte when they could off too far off first.