Carp tossed after two close calls in seventh
Pinch-hitter first thought he was hit by pitch, then thought he earned walk
BOSTON -- In a moment that should provide another reason to look forward to the expansion of instant replay in baseball as early as 2014, Mike Carp lost his temper.
The utility man's typically mild-mannered persona was overcome by a moment of high-intensity emotion in a key spot during Friday night's 10-3 Red Sox loss to the Yankees.
Carp's helmet came off and was slammed into the dirt. His arms began waving like the propellers of a boat engine, just inches away from the face of home-plate umpire Bill Welke. And sure enough, Carp was ejected.
"Two calls in one at-bat, it cannot happen in a big league ballgame," Carp said after the game.
After Yankees lefty Andy Pettitte exited with two outs in the seventh, Carp, pinch-hitting for Will Middlebrooks, felt he was grazed by a pitch from Shawn Kelley, who was relieving Pettitte. Carp took off for first base, assuming he had earned it via the hit-by-pitch. But Welke disagreed and forced Carp to stay in the batter's box.
On the sixth pitch of the at-bat, with the count full and two runners on base, Carp struck out on a called-third strike, a close pitch directed toward the outside part of the strike zone.
That's when Carp lost it.
"We got bases loaded right there, one swing of the bat changes the whole outcome of the game," he said. "I mean, that's what we fight to do as a team. We fight to extend innings. I extended the inning twice. It didn't work out so well and we couldn't capitalize in that situation."
It was Carp's second ejection of the season.
Carp was replaced by Brock Holt, who took over at third base.
"You guys all had access to replays right?" Carp said. "It speaks for itself why I was frustrated and a little livid in that situation."