Pirates manager Derek Shelton was ejected from Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Mets after a controversial call from the plate umpire cost the team a bases-loaded situation.
In the bottom of the seventh, with the Pirates down by three runs, Jack Suwinski took the plate against struggling reliever Reed Garrett with the bases loaded and two outs.
Garrett, who already had given up a hit and walked two earlier in the frame, fell behind In a 1-0 count. On the next pitch, home plate umpire John Tumpane called a low pitch a strike, sparking Shelton’s discontent.
Later in the at-bat, Tumpane called the second strike low and outside of the strike zone, fueling Shelton’s anger.
“Strike called oh my goodness! It should be 5 to 3! Oh Brother!” Shelton yelled.
A livid Shelton stormed the plate to address Tumpane, visibly angry from the call.
Shelton was ejected by Tumpane after the outburst.
Suwinski’s stepped back in to the batter’s box and struck out swing on the next pitch, ending the Pirates’ threat.
Shelton still was annoyed by the calls after the game.
“From my vantage point? I think you pretty much saw what I thought and I should probably stay away from any further comments,” Shelton said at a postgame press conference.
Shelton said Suwinski was one of the “calmest” players on the team, and that his frustration should be noted.
“Jack never reacts,” Shelton said. “For him to react like that, and then for the clock to start again that quick I don’t think I was extremely happy about that. As you can tell from the tone of my voice and the raspiness of my voice right now.”
Shelton said he was not frustrated with the umpire’s calls before this at bat, but thought those two calls were infuriating.
“I thought it was two pitches at that at bat. … You guys can look at them and tell me what you think.”