MLB Ejection 054 - Junior Valentine (1; Pete Walker)

HP Umpire Junior Valentine ejected Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker (ball four call; QOCY) in the top of the 1st inning of the #Rays-#BlueJays game. With two out and the bases loaded, Rays batter Taylor Walls took a 3-2 fastball from Blue Jays pitcher Trent Thornton for a called fourth ball to force in a run. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the outer edge of home plate and waist-high (px -0.86, pz 2.36) and that all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Rays were leading, 1-0. The Rays ultimately won the contest, 14-8, in 11 innings.

This is Junior Valentine (115)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Junior Valentine now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 AAA + 2 Correct Call = 5).

Crew Chief Jerry Meals now has 3 points in Crew Division (2 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 3).

*UEFL Rule 6-2-b-1 (Kulpa Rule): |0| < STRIKE < |.748| < BORDERLINE < |.914| < BALL.

*This pitch was located 1.34 horizontal inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 54th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is Toronto's 1st ejection of 2021, T-2nd in the AL East (NYY 2; BAL, BOS, TOR 1; TB 0).

This is Pete Walker's 1st ejection since April 28, 2019 (Alfonso Marquez; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Junior Valentine's 1st ejection since Sept 21, 2020 (Joe Girardi; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Tampa Bay Rays vs. Toronto Blue Jays of Dunedin, Florida, 5/24/21 | Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Toronto surrenders 5, including grand slam, in 1st as Walker is ejected (TOR)