ST. PETERSBURG -- Kevin Cash was ejected during the Rays' 6-1 loss to the Blue Jays Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Home-plate umpire Mark Ripperger tossed the Rays' manager when he came out of the dugout after appearing to see left-hander Drew Smyly upset with the strike zone following a strikeout of Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin for the second out in the top of the fifth inning. Tampa Bay was trailing, 1-0, at the time.
"I just didn't agree with the strike zone too much," Cash said. "That's going to happen. Those guys out there are busting it trying to get it right. We want it right. That's going to happen. But sometimes we're not always going to agree."
Smyly was asked if he appreciated his manager coming out on his behalf.
"Yeah, I mean, it was a tight zone tonight," Smyly said. "I thought there was definitely quite a few pitches that were inside the strike zone. He didn't give it to me. Like I said, that's baseball. There really isn't anything you can do about it. I just have to keep making the next pitch."
The ejection was Cash's first of the season and the fourth as manager of the Rays.
Cash's last ejection came on Aug. 28, 2015, while the Rays were playing the Royals.