Things escalated fast in Washington as Nationals outfielder Adam Eaton was ejected in the first inning after a heated exchange with the home plate umpire. Eaton worked the count to 3-1, thinking he drew a walk on a borderline pitch. The ump called it a strike instead, and Eaton put on a slow walk toward first, then turned with a dramatic glare at the umpire. The tension built instantly. A pitch later, after a strikeout, Eaton had some parting words, saying the ump missed the previous call. The ump didn’t hesitate and tossed him.
Manager Davey Martinez came out to defend his player, but he didn’t seem to know exactly what happened. He argued it was an inside pitch, but the replays showed it was just high, not inside. Martinez got animated, cursed a few times, drew a line in the dirt to show where he thought the pitch was, and quickly got run as well. A two-ejection first inning wasn’t what the Nats had in mind, but the fans got a full show before the second batter had even taken the field. The bench coach took over managerial duties with a smooth lineup card exchange, and the game finally got underway.