Royals hitting coach ejected late in series opener vs. the Tigers. Here’s why
Kansas City Royals hitting coach Alec Zumwalt had enough of home plate umpire Paul Clemons on Thursday night.
In the ninth inning, Zumwalt voiced his displeasure of the strike zone from the Royals dugout. He said the magic words within earshot of Clemons and was ejected from the game.
“I know it got a little heated at the end,” Royals second baseman Michael Massey said. “Obviously, we love (Zumwalt) having our back there, and you know, standing up for us. I don’t have enough info, but they looked down from my angle. Tough job they got calling balls and strikes.”
The Royals offense continued to struggle against the Detroit Tigers. KC finished 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.
The Tigers took advantage of their opportunities. Detroit duo Riley Greene and Spencer Torkelson powered the offense in the 6-1 victory.
Royals manager Matt Quatraro felt there were some calls that could’ve gone either way. He confirmed that Zumwalt was ejected due to arguing balls and strikes. It was something that was brewing earlier in the game.
“More or less,” Quatraro said. “You know, maybe not the first couple of innings, but after that, yes.”
The Royals (8-12) have one win on their 10-game road trip. The club has scored four runs or fewer in 18 of their 20 games played. Also, KC hasn’t scored more than four runs in 13 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the majors.
MLB umpires had their share of mistakes on Thursday. Around the league, New York Yankees star Jazz Chisholm Jr. criticized a missed call against the Tampa Bay Rays.
He voiced his frustrations on Twitter/X with a NSFW response that was since deleted. Chisholm was ejected from the game after pleading his case at home plate.
