CLEVELAND -- The frustration level is boiling over for the Angels.
Designated hitter Albert Pujols was ejected from the series finale with the Indians on Sunday at Progressive Field for arguing a called third strike to end the top of the eighth inning. The Angels lost, 5-4, as their skid reached 10 games.
Home-plate umpire Clint Fagan rung up Pujols on an Andrew Miller pitch that appeared to be low and outside, and Pujols voiced his displeasure with the call.
Pujols went 0-for-4 with a strikeout and finished the four-game series 2-for-12 with a pair of RBIs. But it wasn't even the called third strike that Pujols was most upset about. Earlier in the count, he felt Fagan made a worse call.
"I just told him that was terrible," Pujols said. "The 2-0 was a worse pitch than the last pitch. I should have been hitting 3-0. He only threw one strike, the one that I swung through. I don't complain too much about strikes, but you can't take an at-bat in that situation. You can't get caught up with the crowd. That's embarrassing."
To make matters worse, Pujols was not tossed when he initially argued the call. Instead, he was given the boot as he was walking back to the dugout well after the two shared words.
"He ejected me when I walked back when I didn't say anything," Pujols said. "He should have ejected me right there when I told him that the ball that was down was terrible. Not when I had my back towards him."
Angels manger Mike Scioscia agreed, saying there was no need to eject Pujols as he was walking away.
"I think it was unwarranted because Albert was walking back to the dugout," Scioscia said. "He said it up at the plate and didn't get thrown out then he's walking back to the dugout and gets thrown out. That was odd."