Orioles manager Brandon Hyde and designated hitter Trey Mancini were ejected from Thursday’s game against the A’s after first-base umpire Rob Drake made a poor call.
In the top of the fourth inning, Mancini reached on an infield single after it deflected off A’s righty Paul Blackburn. The low throw from A’s second baseman Nick Allen went into foul territory after first baseman Seth Brown couldn’t corral it. After Mancini walked back to the bag and looked toward second base, A’s catcher Sean Murphy alertly backed up the play and picked up the ball before tagging Mancini.
The Orioles were shocked once Drake called Mancini out to end the inning. Hyde came to argue initially but went back to the dugout. After they saw a replay on a tablet in the dugout, Mancini exploded in the dugout, Hyde returned to the field during an at-bat the next half inning and both were ejected after arguing some more.
Baltimore probably has a point here.
Baseball has some finicky rules and this is certainly one of them. Usually, players run into foul territory after reaching first base. But if they make any sort of effort to get to second base, they can be tagged out by the defense. Drake’s definition of “effort” here is pretty tight.
As you can see in the replay, Mancini glances toward second base but didn’t make a real lunge or even a full step in the direction.
You can’t blame Hyde and Mancini for getting mad at Drake for this one. It’s a heads-up play by Murphy, but the A’s probably wouldn’t have protested much if they declared Mancini safe.
The A’s had just scored the game’s first two runs in the previous half inning and the Orioles were trying to get some offensive momentum going in a quiet series from both offenses.
