Pittsburgh Pirates Manager Ejected After Arguing With Umpire

Derek Shelton was ejected in the fourth inning of the Pittsburgh Pirates game with the Cleveland Guardians after arguing balls and strikes.

Tommy Wild | Aug 30, 2024

Jun 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton (17) on the field before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

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The Cleveland Guardians and Pittsburgh Pirates had only played a few innings on Friday night before tensions started to get high.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton clearly wasn't happy with how home plate umpire Brian Walsh was calling balls and strikes, and he was ejected in the middle of the fourth inning after an energetic argument.

Shelton and Pittsburgh's biggest issue with the zone came with how he was calling the inside pitch. This had been the case through multiple at-bats and Oneil Cruz and Billy McKinney were each called out on strikes due to a ball inside in the zone.

Shelton had enough after McKinney's strikeout and was shouting at Wash from the top step of the dugout while holding up a number three, signifying how many times he had already missed a call. That, combined with a few magic words, was enough for Walsh to get Shelton an early exit.

The Pirates do have a point here. The pitches were certainly inside and on the border of being a ball or strike and were probably slightly outside of the zone.

Shelton's ejection was possibly the result of a little frustration from everyone in the away dugout and an effort to give his team a spark.

Pittsburgh came into their series against the Guardians, having lost four of their last ten games. Cleveland immediately took a two-run lead to start the game, and the Pirates found themselves on the ropes.

It'll be interesting to hear Shelton's side of the story after the game.

Published Aug 30, 2024

TOMMY WILD