Ump John Tumpane ejects Mike Moustakas ... again

For the third time in his eight-year major league career, Mike Moustakas was ejected from a game on Sunday.

For the second time, umpire John Tumpane issued the thumb.

In the third inning of the series finale against the Astros at Kauffman Stadium, Moustakas was called out at home plate by Tumpane in a bang-bang play.

Moustakas had been on second and tried to score on Salvador Perez’s sharp single. Astros left fielder Marwin Gonzalez fielded the ball cleanly and made a terrific one-hop throw to catcher Brian McCann.

Tumpane ruled it an out. The Royals challenged, and fans believed the play would be overturned after watching the replay.

They were wrong. The call stood. Moustakas argued from the dugout and was ejected.

Manager Ned Yost came out of the dugout and argued with Tumpane. But Yost wasn’t ejected.

Tumpane and the Royals weren't finished with each other. In the fifth inning, starting pitcher Danny Duffy, who wasn't playing, was tossed from the game by Tumpane for arguing from the bench.

It was Duffy's first career ejection.

Last August in Baltimore, Tumpane ejected Moustakas and Yost in the ninth inning after they argued a called third strike on Moustakas.

The last player previous to that game in Baltimore that Tumpane ejected was Royals relief pitcher Peter Moylan in a June game against the Blue Jays.

This story was originally published June 17, 2018 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Ump John Tumpane ejects Mike Moustakas ... again."