DETROIT - The Detroit Tigers are coming off winning back-to-back games, with their most recent victory taking place on Memorial Day vs. the San Francisco Giants.
During their 3-1 victory on Monday (May 26), pitcher Keider Montero went five scoreless innings while Riley Greene brought in two runs before five relievers, including Will Vest, secured his sixth save of the season.
But all of the talk after the Tigers, who are now 35-20, 19-8 at Comerica, shifted to Javier Báez's fifth-inning ejection on a full count.
Báez got into an animated argument with the home-plate umpire over a called third strike on a pitch that was clearly low and outside of the plate.
After some back-and-forth, the umpire ejected Báez, who went ballistic and had to be restrained by Gleyber Torres and third-base coach Joey Cora as manager A.J. Hinch went to discuss the matter.
If Hinch had a few more seconds, he would've been able to step in and defuse the matter, but the decision was already made.
"What I saw was a missed call on the three-two," said Hinch. "Javy didn't get rewarded with ball four, and I thought the argument was over."
As Báez began to walk away, the situation escalated unexpectedly.
"I should have probably gotten out there a little sooner," Hinch said. "But then it turned into an argument that ended with Javi being out."
Despite the ejection, the Tigers maintained their focus, with pitcher Montero delivering a strong performance.
"If you told me at the beginning of the day that he would go five scoreless, I would have loved it," Hinch said. "He battled a bit but found his way back into the strike zone."
Hinch noted the importance of a fresh bullpen in navigating the late innings.
"When we have the lead, it's a bullpen game," Hinch. "Getting (Tyler) Holton hot was an easy decision based on our path."
Hinch spoke about him not getting ejected as well, while Báez was tossed in the fifth inning.
"I know everybody gives me a hard time about not getting ejected.
I got four innings of a one-run game to manage, and my job is to get the player off the field. Obviously, I'm going to stand up for him. I don't know what Phil (Cuzzi) was going to do. He had a short temper, but that wasn't the time for us to lose not only a player on a bad call but a manager in complete chaos the rest of the day."
Báez's ejection sparked a conversation about player emotions and accountability.
"I just wanted some accountability from the umpire," said Báez. "It's not about the call; it's about how he treated me."
He expressed frustration over the lack of communication.
"We can talk, we can argue, but don't treat me like that," Báez said. "If he had just admitted he missed it, I would have walked away."
Despite the setback, Báez's teammates stepped up to score runs in the following inning.
"It was good to see the team capitalize," Báez said. "I was still upset, but it was important for us to keep fighting."
The support from teammates and coaches was evident.
"They have my back," Báez said. "We're a family here, and we know how to treat each other."
As the Tigers move forward, the focus remains on competing and maintaining respect on the field.
"We just want to compete," Báez said. "It's all part of the game."
What do you think of the call, and do you believe Báez getting tossed was the right call?
Meanwhile, the Tigers improved to a Major League Baseball most 19 wins in 26-day games.
Look for the Tigers to keep competing as they're hosting the Giants in the second of a three-game homestand on Tuesday, May 27, with first pitch by Jack Flaherty scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
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