SEATTLE -- Carlos Correa had never before been ejected from a Major League game. And it’s safe to say he was neither seeking nor expecting it when he was tossed for the first time on Saturday.
Correa and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli were both ejected in the seventh inning against the Mariners at T-Mobile Park after Correa took issue with several called strikes by home plate umpire Austin Jones. The 11-year Major League veteran was in the on-deck circle when Jones threw him out.
"I didn’t think I would ever get ejected in my career,” Correa said.
The Twins went on to lose the game, 5-4, in 11 innings, without their shortstop and manager. Throughout the Twins clubhouse after the game, there was surprise that Correa was ejected.
“There’s a reason why he’s had only one [ejection],” Baldelli said. “He’s a pretty respectful guy. I think it was a premature ejection, but it’s not my job to make those decisions, obviously. It’s the umpire’s job. He didn’t say anything personal. He didn’t continue to go at the umpire. As a manager, you always want to see the situation defused and keep your players on the field, playing the game.”
While standing near the on-deck circle during Brooks Lee’s at-bat, Correa took a few steps toward home plate following a pair of called strikes to Lee on borderline pitches. After a brief exchange, Jones ejected Correa. Baldelli immediately came out of the dugout and was quickly tossed as well by Jones, in his second year as a Major League umpire.
Crew chief Bill Miller addressed a pool reporter after the game.
"He argued the strike call on the hitter that was at-bat,” Miller said. "Carlos was warned twice to stop. He continued, he was ejected. Rocco came out and argued that the ejection shouldn't have happened."
The Twins felt that numerous questionable strike calls went against them over the course of the game, including a pitch from Gabe Speier in Correa’s at-bat in the fifth inning that appeared to be well out of the zone.
"It just started with the way the game was going,” Correa said. “He called a pitch on me that was a three-percenter and I asked him where he had that. Every umpire says, ‘I missed it.’ And he said it was right there, so at that point I knew that he was having trouble with the strike zone. … And then I’m on deck and Brooks is getting some pitches that were borderline. I just told him, I said, ‘You’ve got to get them up. You’ve got to make an adjustment. You can’t call that all day.’ And he threw me out.”
Lee followed with a single, but Ty France, pinch-hitting for Correa, struck out to end the inning.
"It was definitely a weird situation because I know, I understand the situation of the game," Correa said. "I understand that I cannot get thrown out, so I’m never going to disrespect an umpire, I’m never going to say anything that would make them want to throw me out. I’ve also got my kids watching every game, so the last thing I want to do is go home and have to explain what happened. But we'll move on and get back tomorrow and make sure I don’t get thrown out.”
Lee, like many Twins, expressed surprise that Correa’s actions drew an ejection.
“He didn’t say anything bad,” Lee said, “just let an umpire know that he’s doing a bad job. It wasn’t even just my at-bat. it was Larnach’s at-bat before. [Pitcher Eduard Bazardo] has a good slider, so it breaks a lot. Still can’t be calling balls that are that far down.”
He also expressed appreciation for his teammate having his back.
"I said ‘thank you,’” Lee said. “He said ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever been tossed, so you know I love you.’”