Mets managerCarlos Mendoza was ejected from Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourth inning for arguing balls and strikes with home plate umpire Roberto Ortiz.
With one out and New York down 3-1, Brandon Waddell threw a ball inside and off the plate to Adam Frazier for ball one. The pitch was close, but clearly a ball. However, Mendoza's gripe with Ortiz was an inning prior, Ortiz called the exact same pitch a strike against Mark Vientos on a 3-0 count.
With a runner on first, a walk would've put two runners on for Juan Soto. Instead, Vientos ended up lining out to end the inning.
After the game, the skipper recounted what happened.
"Especially after that 3-0 call on Mark, you know, I thought it was ball four," Mendoza said. "You got one of the best hitters in the league coming up with two on and that changed, completely, the whole inning there. I just thought it was time for me to go out there and protect the players as well."
So, when Waddell's pitch wasn't also called a strike, Mendoza voiced his displeasure from the dugout and got rung up. After that, he came firing out from the dugout and gave Ortiz an earful for his inconsistency. It was the first time this season that Mendoza had been tossed from a game.
Bench coach John Gibbons took over the managerial duties after that in what was ultimately a 9-2 loss.
Mendoza was asked if his ejection was meant to rally up his team whose offense has struggled during the two games in Pittsburgh.
"No, I mean, look at that time, all I was doing is just protecting the players," the skipper said. "I thought it was ball four, again, it was probably a different inning there with Soto at the plate, and two runners on. But also understanding that they're human. They’re not going to be perfect, but I just thought at that time, I needed to express my frustrations."
