CINCINNATI (AP) — Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was ejected for the second time this season for arguing a called strike.
Chisholm was ejected before the bottom of the ninth inning of Tuesday night’s 5-4, 11-inning loss to the Cincinnati Reds by plate umpire Mark Wegner after a pitch from Lyon Richardson that Chisholm thought was low in the zone on a 2-0 count was called a strike in the top half.
Chisholm struck out and continued arguing after leaving the batter’s box. Yankees captain Aaron Judge walked out together as Chisholm went to third base for the bottom of the ninth.
Chisholm was still talking — he said it was to himself. Wegner held a hand up, as if to say enough, then ejected Chisholm.
“I looked at him and I said, ‘Why are you looking at me?’ And that’s when I got tossed,” Chisholm said. “I didn’t get tossed for saying nothing crazy. I didn’t get tossed saying, ‘Oh, that was a bad pitch,’ I got tossed for saying, ‘Why are you looking at me?’ I don’t think that’s a good reason to toss anybody.”
Chisholm was ejected from the a 6-3 victory over Tampa Bay on April 17 for arguing a called third strike by John Bacon. The following day, Chisholm was suspended for one game and fined by Major League Baseball, which cited his conduct and violation of MLB’s social media policy when he posted in-game criticism online. The suspension was later dropped.
Chisholm said he needed to do a better job of controlling his emotions.
“That’s why I’m upset because I wasn’t talking to you (the umpire). I didn’t even have nothing to say to you because I know if I had something to say you I was going to get tossed,” he said.
Manager Aaron Boone came out to try and held Chisholm back from Wegner.
“Obviously Jazz didn’t like the 2-0 call, some words at home played within the at-bat, and then Jazz went out and says he wasn’t saying anything to Mark Wegner. And Mark was looking down at him and ends up running them. Not a great situation,” Boone said.
The ejection meant Oswald Peraza moved to third base and DJ LeMahieu came in to play second base.
The Yankees have dropped the first two games of the series against the Reds and lost for the ninth time in 12 games. New York (45-34) has seen its lead in the AL East over Tampa Bay cut to one game.
“We have to play better. We have a lot of winners in the clubhouse. You guys asked the same question last year. We have to figure it out,” Aaron Judge said.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
