Price ejected before game starts on Saturday

CLEVELAND -- There was a nice duel between starting pitchers and a tight game played Saturday that the Reds ultimately lost by a 2-1 score to the Indians for their seventh-straight loss. And Reds manager Bryan Price was not in the dugout for any of it.

Price missed all of the game because he was ejected during the exchange of lineup cards at home plate just before first pitch.

"It was just hangover from [Friday], that was all," Price said.

Price had words with crew chief Jim Reynolds for several moments before he was thrown out of the game. During Friday's 7-3 loss to the Indians, a few Reds hitters -- including Joey Votto and Jay Bruce -- seemed to take exception with the strike zone of home-plate umpire Manny Gonzalez. But no one was ejected from that game.

Price admitted the dispute with the umpires on Saturday was about balls and strikes.

"It's just things left unsaid yesterday that were said today," Price said.

Bench coach Jay Bell managed the game for Cincinnati. Price wasn't surprised by his being tossed.

"I was given fair warning that I would be ejected if I continued to debate yesterday's game," Price said.

It was Price's second ejection of the season and the fourth of his career. But this one wasn't the kind you see every day.