Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Max Muncy was ejected from the team's 10-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday after arguing balls and strikes in the fourth inning — and he had some choice words for the umpires afterward.

The 32-year-old said he thought the Cardinals catcher was “bullying” home-plate umpires throughout the series to secure favorable calls, per AM570's David Vassegh.

With no outs in the fourth, Muncy was in a 1-and-2 hole against Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty, taking a slider at the knees which was called a ball by plate umpire Nic Lentz.

Flaherty's next pitch was a fastball in almost the same location, and was called strike three by Lentz. Muncy was not at all happy with the call, and said later that Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras had bullied Lentz into a more favorable call.

Muncy was ejected right afterward, after he appeared to say something to third-base umpire Paul Emmel. Muncy seemed to gesture toward Emmel at third base, pointing his bat at the umpire and then back toward home plate, which ultimately got him ejected.

“The pitch before was almost the exact same location,” Muncy said after the game at Busch Stadium, according to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “For the catcher to sit there and tell him that's a terrible call and he missed it and needs to be better, and then the next one he gives it to him. That, to me, is where the frustration was coming from. I felt like that was happening all weekend long.”

 

Emmel was the home-plate umpire during the Cardinals' 6-5 win over the Dodgers on Saturday.

“I needed to be smarter about what I do,” Muncy acknowledged afterward. “I said what needed to be said at home plate. It was over with. Then I took it too far by going to the third-base umpire.”

The Cardinals ended up winning the four-game series between the two clubs, avenging a three-game sweep at the hands of the Dodgers in April and handing Max Muncy's team their first series loss in almost a month.