Pittsburgh In a doubleheader nightcap on Sunday, plate umpire Nic Lentz ejected Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, bench coach Don Kelly, and pitching coach Oscar Marin during the same at-bat after they argued over ball/strike decisions in the sixth inning.
Following the ejections, Mike Rabelo, the third base coach, assumed the role of acting manager.
After the game, Shelton stated that Bryan Reynolds’ third strike call in the bottom of the fifth inning had angered the Pirates. Then, two balls that were called balls to Maile on counts of 1-2 and 3-2 confused them.
Shelton claimed, “I asked [Lentz] where the pitch was at an inning earlier on the one that Reynolds struck out on.” “I said I didn’t think it was up when he informed me it was up. I believe that the two pitches that Maile received were made in the same area.”
After the game, crew chief and second base umpire Chad Fairchild talked with a pool reporter.
“They received a warning to cease,” stated Fairchild. “Several staff members were fighting balls and strikes in their dugout when Nic looked over there.”
Fairchild alleged that after Shelton on the field to argue balls and strikes, Lentz first pulled Kelly.
“Marin was taken out of the game after that because he was still arguing balls and strikes,” according to Fairchild. “There were several staff members fighting back and forth. When we had several individuals staring over there at that moment, we had to execute our jobs, and that’s exactly what happened.”
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