With the bases loaded in the 12th and Toronto just taking the lead, Justin Smoak stepped in at a crucial moment. The count ran to 3-0, and the pitcher still couldn’t find the zone. The 3-0 pitch looked outside, but the umpire called it a strike. Smoak didn’t like it. He gave a look, maybe muttered something, but stayed in. The next pitch was also borderline. Feeling pressure to protect after the earlier call, Smoak offered at it. He looked frustrated, knowing he might’ve walked in a run if that first pitch was ruled correctly.
Then came the full-count pitch. It appeared high, but the ump rang him up. Smoak immediately protested, saying the ball was “up in the [bleep] zone” and threw in what sounded like more unflattering commentary. He was tossed instantly. Manager Charlie Montoyo jogged out stiff-legged after 12 innings on the bench to try and cool things down, but the ejection stood. From the video angle, the pitch looked too high to be a strike, though it’s tough to call definitively. Either way, Smoak was heated, and the ump wasn’t having it. Nothing outrageous, just a player boiling over after a missed chance to help his team.