Brandon Hyde became the first MLB manager to get ejected this season during the Orioles-Red Sox game. The incident started when a pitch hit Baltimore’s Esteury Ruiz on the elbow and then bounced off his thigh. While Ruiz reacted in pain, the umpires debated whether he had swung at the pitch. The call on the field was that he did swing, which surprised everyone watching, especially given the awkward and confusing motion from the umpire indicating the decision.
Hyde came out to ask for clarification. According to his postgame comments, he simply asked how the umpires could call that a swing. He claimed he only asked twice before getting tossed, calling it an early and unnecessary ejection. Cameras didn’t catch much of the exchange, which either happened too fast or suffered from poor coverage. Hyde wasn’t happy and made his frustration clear.
Ruiz stayed in the game but looked shaken during the rest of the at-bat. After working the count full, he struck out and threw his bat in frustration. Not a great sequence for Baltimore. One questionable call, one angry manager ejection, and one painful trip to first that turned into a strikeout.