Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez was in no mood for any type of call he thought was bad, but unfortunately during Thursday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, it was just too much.
The ordeal kicked off when Martinez got upset with a called third strike on batter C.J. Abrams, which ended the fourth inning in a close ball game. Replay of the pitch showed that it was low. Washington was down 2-1 with runners on first and second when Abrams was punched out.
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Dave Martinez #4 of the Washington Nationals watches the game in the third inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park on June 22, 2023 in Washington, D.C. (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
Then, Martinez got upset when Jake Irvin’s pitch to Carson Kelly in the fifth inning was called a ball. Home plate umpire Doug Eddings appeared to respond to Martinez shouting from the dugout. The manager came out to argue but went back to the dugout. On his way back, Martinez yelled, “Get it right!” Eddings responded by tossing him from the game, and that’s when Martinez erupted.
Martinez kicked dirt away from the plate and got down onto his knees and peered into Eddings’ strike zone to illustrate his point of view. Lou Piniella would be proud.
“I’m going to protect my players, and that’s all there is to it,” Martinez said. “In that moment, it’s crucial. He takes a pitch and does a good job, and maybe he gets the next pitch. Who knows? Maybe he gets a base hit and we’re back in the ball game. It’s just a tough situation.”
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Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez lies on home plate after being ejected during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2023. (Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports)
Washington lost the game, 5-3.
Martinez said he was trying to protect Abrams, who struck out looking three times.
“I’m more worried about him because he’s doing everything right,” he added. “That’s what kind of got me heated. I screamed for a little bit there beforehand, and when it was over, the next inning started, and I was good. I was like, ‘Hey, let’s play baseball, we’re still in the game.’ Then, as you guys could see, things got a little bit heated up, and that led to me doing a plank on the field.”
The Nationals have lost 14 of 17.
Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez, left, argues after being ejected during the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 2023. (Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports)
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Martinez was the topic of conversation last week when he brought photo evidence to a press conference to argue that a Houston Astros player was out of the baseline.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
