Walker Buehler and Alex Cora hit the exits early on Tuesday night, but not after getting their money’s worth.
The Red Sox starter and manager were both ejected after a fiery scene at Fenway Park in their game against the Mets after they argued what appeared to be a missed strike call against Juan Soto in the third inning of Boston’s 2-0 win.
First, Francisco Lindor got plunked — which Buehler didn’t seem particularly happy with after the Mets shortstop didn’t appear to move out of the way — and then stole second on a pitch down and in on Soto.
Whether it was because catcher Carlos Narvaez got up quickly in his failed attempt to gun down Lindor or not, home plate umpire Mike Estabrook called the pitch a ball, though MLB.com’s gameday feature showed the pitch easily caught the inside corner at about the knee.
Buehler was livid with the call and yelled at Estabrook, getting the heave-ho.
“For me personally, it’s one of those things that you’re very conflicted,” Buehler told reporters after the game, adding that he put his relievers in a rough spot. “I felt very convicted in what I felt and saw, but at the same time, this is a team game and something I kind of let get out of hand. And personally, that’s kind of the disappointing part of it.”
Cora, after Buehler’s ejection, bounded from the dugout and got into the umpire’s face before he was thrown from the ballgame.
“He can say stuff from the mound,” crew chief Laz Diaz told a pool reporter about Buehler after the game. “But once he comes off the mound, he’s leaving his position to argue balls and strikes. Once anybody leaves their position to argue balls and strikes, that’s an immediate ejection.”
Lefty Brennan Bernadino entered to finish the third, becoming the first of six relievers to hold the Mets to just four hits and no runs.
Buehler struck out four and walked two over his 2 ¹/₃ innings to lower his ERA to 4.00.