Arguing third-strike call gets B.J. Upton ejected

PHILADELPHIA -- Braves center fielder B.J. Upton was ejected by home-plate umpire Doug Eddings after objecting to a called third strike in the fifth inning of Sunday afternoon's 7-3 loss to the Phillies.

After being rung up on a Jonathan Pettibone pitch that appeared to be a strike, Upton turned to Eddings and briefly offered his objection. But he was not tossed until he returned to the dugout and said something the veteran umpire did not like.

"B.J. didn't say very much, to be honest with you," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "I was standing right next to him [in the dugout]. I don't know if it was some conversation during the at-bat that might have caused it. But it wasn't what was said in the dugout. There's a lot of worse stuff that has been said in the dugout."

Upton returned to the plate to offer a few more choice words before heading to the clubhouse. But this argument was nowhere near as animated or spirited as the ones that Eddings had with some former Braves, namely Chipper Jones and Johnny Estrada.

This was Upton's second ejection of the season. He was tossed by Sam Holbrook for arguing a called third strike April 19 in Pittsburgh.