SAN DIEGO -- Padres manager Craig Stammen and infield instructor Ryan Goins were ejected from Tuesday’s game against the Rockies after a heated exchange with home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts attempted to challenge a 1-0 sinker from Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen, which appeared well below the zone. But Rehak evidently did not notice Bogaerts’ signal, and thus, he didn’t grant the challenge. That drew an instant reaction from the Padres’ dugout.
Stammen emerged to argue briefly, and Bogaerts made his case as well. But Stammen and Goins weren’t ejected until a pitch later.
Bogaerts grounded into a forceout on the ensuing 1-1 pitch. But Rockies second baseman Edouard Julien dropped the ball on his attempt to transfer and turn a double play.
Stammen signaled for play to be held up in case of a review. He came onto the field to make that signal, which appeared to draw the ire of Rehak. Goins was tossed from the top step of the dugout. Stammen and Rehak got into it again, and Stammen was tossed as well -- the fourth ejection of the season for the first-year manager.
Of course, it’s not the first time that a low called strike on Bogaerts has sparked a kerfuffle. He was at the center of a controversial call in the postseason last year. In the decisive Game 3 of the Wild Card Series against the Cubs, he led off the ninth inning by working the count full and taking what he thought was ball four. It was called strike three, and Bogaerts was later fined for his conduct afterward.