Lovullo, Mathis receive first ejections

PHOENIX -- There hasn't been much for Torey Lovullo to complain about this year, but Wednesday night the D-backs manager took issue with home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn's fourth-inning ejection of Jeff Mathis and earned himself an early shower as well.
Mathis and Lovullo watched from the clubhouse as the Cardinals snapped the D-backs four-game winning streak by beating them, 4-3, at Chase Field.
The D-backs appeared to be unhappy with Reyburn's strike zone throughout the early innings. There were a couple of pitches that were called strikes to Paul Goldschmidt that were questioned and there were a two to Brandon Drury.
Things finally boiled over in the fourth.
Mathis took a 1-2 sinker that Statcast™ showed as being just off the plate and Reyburn called it strike three.
As Mathis headed toward the dugout he turned and faced Reyburn and said a few things to him. Reyburn ejected him.
"Obviously, it was a little early," Mathis said when asked if he thought Reyburn threw him out too quickly. "I didn't think I said anything to be run from the ballgame, but obviously he thought I did."
Mathis was also asked if he was upset just about the pitch for the third strike or if it was a culmination of some of the other calls.
"I think it was a culmination of a bunch of things and I think [Reyburn] knows why," Mathis said. "It extends a little bit further than the strike zone and I'll just leave it at that."
Lovullo sprinted from the dugout after Mathis was ejected and it did not take long for him to get tossed.
"I was just voicing my displeasure," Lovullo said. "It's nothing I really want to get into. I will say that D.J. Reyburn did his absolute best to call balls and strikes. And moments like that erupt and situations like that happen. He was doing his job the best way he knew how."
For Lovullo it came down to standing up for his player.
"I think that's probably what frustrated me the most," he said. "I felt that [Mathis'] ejection wasn't justified."
Given his laid back nature as well as the success his team has had -- heading into Wednesday's game the D-backs had the best record in baseball since May 15 -- this was the first time those around the D-backs had seen Lovullo angry.
"It takes a lot to get me there, but when I get there you see what happens," Lovullo said. "I'm not afraid to show what I'm thinking and say what I'm think. Like I said, I'm Italian, and I get emotional, and I can't stop that train once it gets going."