Already playing with a four-man bench, the Los Angeles Dodgers entered Wednesday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers short one player, because of a sore right shoulder making Joc Pederson unavailable. When Adrian Gonzalez was ejected in the fourth inning, it left the Dodgers with just two players on their bench.
The issue that led to Gonzalez’s ejection began with the second pitch of the at-bat. The Dodgers’ first baseman appeared to check his swing, but it was ruled on an appeal to third base umpire Dan Bellino that he went around.
Gonzalez then offered at Junior Guerra’s next pitch, which was in the dirt, and struck out. On his way back to the dugout, Gonzalez motioned to Bellino that he went around on that pitch.
Before Gonzalez could reach the dugout steps, he was ejected by the third base umpire. In discussing the matter after the Dodgers’ loss, Gonzalez expressed confusion as to why he was run from the game, via Time Warner Cable SportsNet LA:
“I didn’t say it, I gestured it. I didn’t say a word. That was the first time in my career I’ve ever been tossed without saying a word and walking back to the dugout. I don’t know where the basis of tossing somebody is there.”
The 34-year-old first baseman added he would like to see the manner with which a check-swing is judged made more uniform:
“The check-swing itself, I don’t have a problem calling it. My biggest issue is how it’s interpreted differently by every umpire. I think for the most part that’s something that needs to be addressed, and black and white, not grey.
Gonzalez went 0-for-1 with the one strikeout and a walk prior to getting ejected. He’s endured a rough stretch during June, though voiced optimism time off in the series with the Pittsburgh Pirates allowed him to solve what’s affected his swing.
Gonzalez is 5-for-15 with one double, two RBIs and two walks through the first six games (four starts) of the Dodgers’ road trip that concludes Thursday.
