The Chicago Cubs notched an exhilarating victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night thanks to Javier Baez’s game-winning run, but manager Joe Maddon wasn’t around to see it.
That’s because Maddon was ejected from the game in the bottom of the ninth inning after a call went against Ben Zobrist at home plate. Zobrist, who was attempting to lay down a bunt with runners on first and second, was hit by a pitch, but first base umpire Chris Conroy ruled that he had attempted to bunt the pitch, and sent him back to home plate.
A livid Maddon sprinted onto the field and got into a heated argument with multiple umpires before being escorted back to the dugout.
“That call almost cost us the game,” he said. “Fortunately we were able to finish it. I’ve been playing good in the sandbox, but that was wrong.”
After the game, Maddon didn’t mince words, calling the decision “asinine” and blasting the umpires involved.
“I don’t even know what to say about that call. We’ve had different things happen, and I’ve been playing really good in the sandbox, and I’m not right now,” he said. “That call cannot be made under those circumstances. There’s no way that a hitter under those circumstances with the ball coming at his thigh could bunt through it and get hit in the thigh. That’s asinine.”
Maddon could potentially be fined or suspended, as he appeared to make contact with the umpire during the argument, but after the game he was more focused on getting calls right in the future.
Chicago Baseball
“All these little minutiae need to be looked at because that impacted the game,” he said. “It’s bases loaded and nobody out, then it’s a different at-bat for Almora. Everything’s different. The world rotates differently at that point. To influence a game like that is wrong. He’s a good guy and a good umpire, but I’m not going to concede to guys like that. You can’t make that mistake like that.”
