SAN DIEGO – Nationals manager Blake Butera was ejected for the second time in his career in Washington's 9-2 loss Wednesday afternoon at Petco Park.
Butera was tossed by first-base umpire Emil Jimenez during the bottom of the third inning against the Padres. Butera was seemingly addressing Jimenez’s check-swing call during Ty France’s two-out at-bat.
The Nationals were leading, 2-0, with runners on first and second when Jackson Kent worked an 0-2 count against France. Kent threw a curveball in the dirt, then he pointed to Jimenez as France retracted his bat. The Nationals were looking for a called third strike; Jimenez instead ruled that France didn't swing, making it a 1-2 count.
France singled into left field on the next pitch and drove in Fernando Tatis Jr. to make it a 2-1 game.
In the next at-bat, Jackson Merrill belted a deep fly ball a Statcast-projected 403 feet, and center fielder Jacob Young crashed into the wall and fell to the warning track attempting to catch it. Manny Machado and France scored on the go-ahead triple.
Following Butera’s ejection, bench coach Michael Johns took over at the helm for the Nationals.
Butera, who was hired this offseason, received his first managerial ejection on Aug. 3 at Citizens Bank Park.