Joe West’s umpiring crew made headlines again by tossing Nationals GM Mike Rizzo from a seventh-inning blowout. With Washington down six runs and Eric Thames at the plate, a 2-1 pitch got called a strike despite missing the zone by a mile. Thames was visibly confused but stepped back in. The real drama unfolded in the stands above as Rizzo, sitting alone in a suite, yelled something the umpires didn’t like. They stopped the game, called for security, and ejected him. The official reason was that Rizzo wasn’t wearing a mask, but that didn’t hold much water with players bunched together in the dugout. It looked more like they targeted him for chirping too much in previous games. With no crowd noise to drown it out, the umpires locked in on his voice.
Rizzo, stunned, looked at his phone while West did the same. Eventually, the GM had to leave. Meanwhile, Thames battled the count full and then struck out, frustrated. He tossed his gear and got a look from the ump who likely warned or fined him. Thames seemed surprised, as if to say, “Me?” All around, it felt like a tense and petty night from the umpiring crew, ignited by a missed strike call and amplified by the silence of an empty ballpark.