PITTSBURGH -- Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton received the first ejection of his big league career during Thursday's 6-0 loss to the Pirates for arguing balls and strikes.
Hamilton saw three pitches from Pirates starter Chad Kuhl and was called out on strikes by home-plate umpire Todd Tichenor to end the top of the fifth inning.
Hamilton expressed his displeasure with Tichenor as he left the batter's box and the two had what appeared to be a measured conversation.
But Hamilton had a few more words to say to Tichenor while walking away, and was thrown out of the game.
Patrick Kivlehan replaced Hamilton in the bottom of the fifth.
"There was certainly frustration there that inning that the zone was a bit bigger, it seemed like," Reds manager Bryan Price said. "I know that Tucker [Barnhart] had some issues with it as well as some of the other guys. That's baseball."'