Cash, Shelton ejected in loss to Rangers

ST. PETERSBURG -- Rays manager Kevin Cash and hitting coach Derek Shelton were ejected from Sunday afternoon's 2-1 loss against the Rangers.

Both took exception to home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook's strike zone. Their frustrations boiled over in the fifth just seconds after Joey Butler struck out swinging for the second out of the inning.

The Rays thought Butler had checked his swing and wanted Estabrook to ask for help from the first-base umpire. He did not.

Shelton barked from the dugout and quickly got ejected. Cash then left the dugout and walked halfway toward Estabrook and said something, then turned back to the dugout. Estabrook tossed Cash as the manager returned to the dugout.

After realizing he had been ejected, Cash returned to home plate to get in his 10 cents worth, kicking dirt on the plate and holding out his right arm in an exaggerated fashion like a catcher would reaching for a pitch outside of the strike zone.

"Well, obviously, disagreed on Joey's check-swing call," said Cash when asked about his ejection. "Asked the first-base umpire for help. And overall, just the strike zone."

Cash has now been ejected twice this season. His first as a manager came on April 16 in Toronto. It was Shelton's first career ejection.

Cash has now been ejected twice this season. His first as a manager came on April 16 in Toronto. It was Shelton's first career ejection.