The Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants started a three-game series on Monday, and the Tigers picked up a 3-1 to get it started on a high note. However, it wasn't all good for centerfielder Javier Baez. Baez ended up getting ejected in the fifth inning after getting rung up on a pitch that was clearly out of the zone. Baez started arguing the call, and he was eventually tossed. He was clearly extremely upset afterwards:
Javier Baez let the ump have it after this strike three call and he was promptly ejected 😲 #RepDetroit
— BET99 Sportsbook (@BET99Sportsbook) May 26, 2025
Tigers manager AJ Hinch came out to talk things over with umpire Phil Cuzzi, and Baez was eventually calmed down as he returned to the dugout and left the game. After the contest was over, Baez explained what went down.
“I only said, ‘I’m looking for that pitch. It’s not a f**king strike.’ That’s the only thing I said,” Baez said, according to a post from Evan Petzold. “And then he said, ‘Don’t point at it. Walk out.’ And then I said, ‘What do you mean, walk out? I’m asking you something,’ and then he just threw me out.”
Baez was clearly incredibly frustrated with what happened, but he went on to explain that he wasn't even upset about the missed call, he was just mad about how the umpire was talking to him.
Article Continues Below“It's not even about the call. It's about how he treated me,” he added. “I'm not an animal. We can talk. We can argue. And that's it. If he would've told me, ‘OK, I missed it,' I would've f**king shut up. I know he's not perfect, but don't treat me like that.”
There are a lot of calls in baseball that are tough on an umpire and they can really go either way. This wasn't one of those calls. The ball was clearly a few inches out of the strike zone, but balls and strikes can't be reviewed. Phil Cuzzi wasn't looking to admit that he was at fault, and he made Baez even more upset in the process.
The good news for Javier Baez and the Tigers is that they did win the baseball game, and that's the most important thing. Baez left the game after going 0-2 at the plate, including the strikeout that should not have been. He was replaced by Matt Vierling, who recently returned to the team after dealing with an injury.
Detroit and San Francisco will be back at it on Tuesday at 6:40 ET from Comerica Park, and then they will finish off the three-games series on Wednesday at 1:10.