Guardians manager Stephen Vogt got tossed for the first time in his big league managing career during a bizarre sequence against an undisclosed opponent. It started with a rough inning for Cleveland’s pitcher, who opened by walking the leadoff batter on four pitches. A questionable hit-by-pitch call followed but was ruled a foul ball. Despite shaky command, the defense made a couple of solid stops to keep the force plays alive. Then they turned a key double play with a runner still on third.
The next moment triggered chaos. As the pitcher faced the next batter, the runner at third faked a break for home. The batter stepped out and the catcher moved up to take the throw, but then everything unraveled. The pitcher made a slight knee movement but didn’t commit to a pitch. The umpires called a balk, letting the run score. Replay showed that this wasn’t much different from his previous movements, but the ump said this time it counted. Vogt came out to argue and, after some back and forth with umpire Wolf, dropped a few strong words and got run. He took his pen with him on the way out, strapping it to his jersey like a veteran who knows the drill. Not the type of milestone a first-year manager hopes for, but probably inevitable at some point.