During a tied game between the Reds and Marlins in the top of the seventh, Elly De La Cruz got called out on strikes on a borderline low pitch. He didn’t make a scene, just calmly said it was low. Reds manager David Bell came out to protect his player, as he often does. Bell didn’t yell or get in the umpire’s face. He simply said, “That’s down.” The umpire responded with a quiet ejection, saying “Go.” Bell stood there stunned, asking if he was really thrown out for just making a comment. The exchange stayed calm, even as Bell kept asking for an explanation.
The pitch did look low, although the visual strike zone box can be misleading. Based on the data, it was probably outside the zone. Still, arguing balls and strikes is a quick way to get tossed, and the ump didn’t hesitate. He put his mask back on and moved on. Bell looked baffled and frustrated but walked off without escalating. It was a rare example of a completely calm ejection where nobody lost their temper yet someone still got thrown out. Just a quiet power move from the ump and an even quieter walk back to the dugout.