(670 The Score) With his team mired in a long losing streak, Cubs manager David Ross’ frustration boiled over Monday evening.
Ross was ejected in the top of the sixth inning of the Cubs’ eventual 13-3 loss to the Phillies for arguing balls and strikes. While the game got out of hand later, Ross expressed his anger at a pivotal moment in the game. With the score tied 2-2, Phillies star outfielder Bryce Harper led off the sixth inning with a walk when he took a close 3-2 pitch from Cubs lefty reliever Rex Brothers that was indeed just a bit low, according to replays.
Nonetheless, Ross was set off, believing Harper had influenced the call by home plate umpire Nic Lentz, who ejected Ross, and also believing the standards had changed.
“I thought he had a bigger zone throughout the game,” Ross said. “It felt like the 3-1 pitch, Harper was unhappy with (a borderline strike call). I felt like from my standpoint, he complained and got a call from complaining. I felt like he got talked into his own (call). I haven’t seen the pitch. I’ve heard it was down. It was outside the (K zone) box. I can admit when I was wrong.”
As he often does, veteran umpire Joe West got in the mix and helped restrain Ross.
It was Ross’ third ejection of the season. Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen followed shortly thereafter with an RBI double to put Philadelphia up 3-2 before it got out of hands in the later innings.
The Cubs are now riding a 10-game losing streak, their longest since 2012.
“We’ve got to overcome that adversity, no doubt,” Ross said. “But from my standpoint, I need to fight and have these guys, hold them as accountable as I possibly can from my standpoint and try to help out the group as I know they’re (the umpires) are trying to do the best they can. It’s a fine line. I don’t want to be the manager that complains about every strike when you’re in the middle of a stretch we’re in right now. That’s counter-productive as well. But that one in particular felt like, in the moment, that he kind of swayed with a high-profile player on a borderline pitch.
“But like I said – I heard it was a ball, so again, I’m wrong.”