Red Sox starter Walker Buehler, manager Alex Cora ejected in 3rd inning after spat with ump
Both Buehler and Cora were given the hook in the third inning after arguing balls and strikes.
The Red Sox’s beleaguered starting rotation was expected to receive a lift on Tuesday after veteran righty Walker Buehler was activated off of the 15-day IL.
But Boston’s starter for Tuesday’s home game against the Mets didn’t even make it out of the third inning.
Granted, Buehler’s early hook had nothing to do with his performance on the mound.
In a brutal sequence for the Red Sox, both Buehler and manager Alex Cora were ejected by home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook after arguing balls and strikes.
With one out in the third inning and Juan Soto up at the plate for New York, Buehler’s second pitch of the at-bat looked like a clear strike — but it was ruled a ball after catcher Carlos Narváez quickly popped up to try and throw out Francisco Lindor, who was trying to steal second.
Buehler and Estabrook exchanged plenty of verbal barbs at each other immediately after the pitch with delivered, with the home-plate ump tossing the starter from the game. Cora exited the dugout in order to defend his starter, and was also given the hook.
Buehler — making his first start since April 26 after landing on the IL with shoulder soreness — threw 52 pitches before getting tossed from the game. The 30-year-old righty did not allow a run or a hit, but also hit two batters and walked another pair.
This marks the second career ejection for Buehler, who was also tossed in an August 20, 2021 game against the Mets while playing for the Dodgers.
Cora has now been ejected 18 times as a manager, with bench coach Ramón Vázquez taking over as interim manager for the second game in a row.
Buehler’s ejection was a tough result for the Red Sox, as Boston had to turn to its bullpen to record the final 20 outs of Tuesday’s game.
But the Red Sox’s relievers were up to the task. Brennan Bernardino, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Wilson, Greg Weissert, Justin Slaten, and Aroldis Chapman relinquished just four hits and zero runs the remainder of the game en route to a 2-0 Boston win.
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