Josh Donaldson hit a go-ahead home run and got tossed before he finished his trot around the bases. It started in the first inning when he didn’t like a high strike call. He barked a little, but kept it together. Fast forward to the sixth, game tied 2-2, and some more friction with the ump over a check swing call. Donaldson wanted to know if the strike was for the pitch or his swing. The ump didn’t like the question. The mood turned tense.
Donaldson stayed in the box and smashed the next pitch over the fence to put the Twins up 3-2. As he trotted home, he dragged his foot through the plate, leaving dirt on it, clearly aimed at the umpire. He stumbled slightly and thought he didn’t touch home, so he circled back to make sure. The ump kept staring him down. Hot mics picked up Donaldson jawing as he crossed home, then the ump finally ran him. If he hadn’t touched home yet on the first pass, he got ejected mid-trot, which might be a first.
The whole thing turned into a battle of egos. Donaldson got his shot in with the bat, then tried to get under the ump’s skin with the plate scuff. It worked. The umpire lost patience and sent him packing. Twins took the lead but lost the game, and Donaldson’s beef overshadowed his homer.