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The Boston Red Sox found themselves in the middle of another umpire controversy Tuesday night during their 2-0 win over the New York Mets at Fenway Park. The incident, which resulted in the early ejections of starting pitcher Walker Buehler and manager Alex Cora, stirred frustration from the dugout and sparked debate across the league.
According to a piece written by Chris Cotillo of MassLive, in his postgame comments, the Red Sox skipper didn’t hold back when addressing what he viewed as overly aggressive behavior from home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.
“I was inside and they showed a replay in the fourth inning because they had that camera,” said Cora. “I don’t want to make excuses, but it looked like it was very aggressive. But he’s the umpire, we have to respect that and he threw him out.”
The drama began in the third inning after Buehler's pitch — seemingly a clear strike — was ruled a ball during a tense at-bat with Juan Soto. Estabrook quickly tossed Buehler following a heated exchange. Cameras captured Buehler telling the umpire the pitch was “right down the (expletive) middle.”
The scene escalated when Cora rushed from the dugout in an effort to defend his pitcher and de-escalate the tension.
“I was just begging, ‘Give me a break. I'll go out and you can throw me out. We can keep the pitcher in the game.' I guess he had enough. I don't know why. At that point, I've got to go, too.”
According to crew chief Laz Diaz, Buehler's ejection came because he left the mound to argue balls and strikes, an automatic ejection under MLB rules.
The highlights from this game will certainly include this fiery moment, and it could have long-term implications for how the league reviews aggressive umpiring. With Buehler returning from the injured list, losing him was an early blow — but Boston's bullpen held strong.
For now, the Red Sox will look ahead, hoping to put the heat of this ejection in the past and focus on winning as many games as possible.
