WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez was ejected in the fifth inning of Thursday鈥檚 game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, then kicked dirt near the plate and crouched in response to being tossed by crew chief Doug Eddings.
Dave Martinez is ejected and gets his money's worth.
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鈥淚鈥檓 going to protect my players, and that鈥檚 all there is to it,鈥� Martinez said after the Nationals鈥� 5-3 loss. 鈥淚n that moment, it鈥檚 crucial. He takes a pitch and does a good job, and maybe he gets the next pitch. Who knows? Maybe he gets a base it and we鈥檙e back in the ball game. It鈥檚 just a tough situation.鈥�
Washington has lost 14 of 17 and just completed a 1-6 homestand.
Martinez was irked when shortstop CJ Abrams took a called third strike ending the fourth on a pitch that replays showed was low. The strikeout came with runners on first and second and the Nationals trailing 2-1.
The Washington manager was then angered when Eddings called a ball on starter Jake Irvin’s first pitch to Carson Kelly with one out in the fifth.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not perfect,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淣either is anybody else, and those things will happen. It鈥檚 when it happens. That鈥檚 the thing that really frustrates me a lot. In crucial situations, you have to bear down. Nobody鈥檚 perfect. I don鈥檛 expect anybody to be perfect. In situations where it鈥檚 meaningful, you really have to bear down and get it right.鈥�
Eddings appeared to respond to shouting from the Nationals’ dugout, prompting Martinez to come out and argue. Martinez then left to go back to the dugout.
鈥淕et it right!” Martinez said , adding a profanity.
鈥淎ll right, you鈥檙e done,鈥� Eddings replied as Martinez stormed back toward the plate.
Martinez, who was ejected for the first time this season, then kicked dirt away from the plate and got down on the ground to illustrate his view of Eddings鈥� strike zone.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 Davey standing up for guys that have been working really, really hard to right this ship,” Irvin said. “He鈥檚 our leader, man. When a guy comes out and battles for us like that, it鈥檚 motivational. We see how much he cares and we鈥檙e going to keep working hard, that鈥檚 for sure.鈥�
Martinez said his greatest concern in the moment was the effect the initial call could have on Abrams, a second-year player who struck out looking three times,
鈥淚鈥檓 more worried about him because he鈥檚 doing everything right,鈥� Martinez said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what kind of got me heated. I screamed for a little bit there beforehand and when it was over, the next inning started and I was good. I was like 鈥楬ey, let鈥檚 play baseball, we鈥檙e still in the game.鈥� Then, as you guys could see, things got a little bit heated up and that led to me doing a plank on the field.鈥�
Arizona watched from its dugout.
鈥淚 love Davey,鈥� Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “The guys were giving me a hard time, that I need to get on the field and belly up to the dirt. I don’t think I ever will. But he’s passionate. And I think that showed up today.”
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