Both Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny and young starting pitcher Brady Singer share a mixture of intensity and competitiveness that makes them potential powder kegs under certain circumstances.
But when the usually mild-mannered, even-keeled pitching coach Cal Eldred came tearing out of the dugout breathing fire and flailing arms and pointing fingers as if he’d witnessed a crime against humanity, it was a definite sign that things had gotten out of hand on the field at Kauffman Stadium.
In the span of one batter, Matheny, Eldred and Singer were all ejected by home plate umpire and interim crew chief Angel Hernandez as tempers flared in a three-run inning that saw the Royals’ lead shrink.
The sixth-inning blow-up was one more point of frustration as the Royals lost their fourth in a row, 5-4, to the Cleveland Indians in front of an announced 9,640 at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night.
The Indians (16-13) clinched the four-game series, and the Royals (16-13) will try to avoid a sweep on Thursday afternoon.
The fireworks involving Matheny and Eldred came in the top of the sixth with the Royals leading 4-0 and Singer on the mound. With one out and Jake Bauers having reached base on a walk, Hernandez ruled that Jose Ramirez had been hit by an inside pitch.
An initial look at the replay raised the question of whether the ball made contact with Ramirez or his bat. The Royals challenged the play, but the call stood upon review.
Singer was so visibly angry after the call and review that both catcher Salvador Perez and second baseman Whit Merrifield were motioning for him to calm down. Singer then gave up a two-run double to Eddie Rosario followed by a walk to Franmil Reyes.
With Rosario and Reyes on, Singer committed a balk that was called by Hernandez. Matheny came out of the dugout and voiced his frustration with Hernandez. Just as Matheny had gotten back to the dugout, Hernandez signaled for an ejection — presumably of Eldred.
That prompted Eldred to storm out of the dugout, barking at Hernandez while Matheny put himself between Eldred and Hernandez. After Eldred left the playing field and headed back into the dugout, Matheny continued arguing with Hernandez and was also ejected.
Following an RBI groundout to first base that cut the Royals’ lead to 4-3, bench coach Pedro Grifol removed Singer from the game and brought in reliever Scott Barlow.
Singer barked and gestured at Hernandez on his way toward the dugout and walked up nearly chest-to-chest with Hernandez momentarily before he ejected Singer as well. Merrifield sprinted from his position at second base to get between Singer and Hernandez and push Singer towards the dugout.
The Indians tied the score on Ramirez’s eighth-inning homer off Jakob Junis and scored the go-ahead run on Josh Naylor’s ninth-inning home run off of Wade Davis, who now has a 7.59 ERA this season.
Royals third baseman Hunter Dozier hit his fifth home run of the season, his third in four games. Andrew Benintendi and Ryan O’Hearn each went 2 for 4 in the loss.
