Yadier Molina, catcher for the St. Lois Cardinals and Kevin Youkilis, third baseman for the Boston Red Sox were both ejected last night for similar offenses. Both argued balls and strikes and both were then ejected promptly. Youkilis’ ejection isn’t getting as much attention as Molina’s but luckily neither players temper ended up costing their a team a win. Both games were very close against oppenents that are also chasing playoff spots.
Youkilis hit a solo homerun, his 16th of the year, in the 6th inning but in his very next at bat was called out on a check swing in which he and home plate umpire Gerry Davis disagreed on whether he swung or not. The star third baseman proceeded to argue his case all the way back to the dugout until Davis had heard enough and threw him out. The game was still tied at 2 at this point in the 7th inning and was a bone-headed move for a veteran whose team might have needed him later on. Luckily enough Jacoby Ellsbury bailed his teammate out with his walk-off single in the 9th.
By the time Yadier Molina was ejected the game was already tense. In a contest between the two division rivals with probably the best chance to win the NL Central it seemed only a matter of time before someone was ejected. The fireworks started in the 7th inning when Milwaukee Brewers reliever Takashi Saito hit Albert Pujols on the same left wrist that had been borken and kept him out for a good portion of the year before the All-Star break. The Cardinals were not happy but thankfully for them the x-rays came up negative and his wrist seems to be fine.
That pitch wasn’t intentional but many seem to believe the pitch in the bottom of the inning by Cardinals reliever Jason Motte was. Motte hit Brewers star Ryan Braun in the back with a 97 mile an hour heater. Molina and Motte both claimed after the game it wasn’t on purpose and that they were only trying to pitch inside and it got away from him but the Brewers weren’t thrilled with that explanation. Home plate umpire Rob Drake warned both benches but no one was ejected. It wasn’t until the top of the 10th inning when Molina finally lost his cool and threw a tirade at Drake and even bumped him in the process. The Cardinals can probably expect a suspension to come down the line from the MLB offices for making contact with an umpire.
However just like Youkilis, Molina was bailed out by a teammate in the top of the 11th inning when Lance Berkman singled to score Matt Holliday and the go ahead run. So neither all-stars ejection ended up costing his team and I guess alls well that ends well for these players.
