Ask the UEFL - Runner Catches Foul Ball in Vols Game

HP Umpire Darren Spagnardi ejected Tennessee baseball head coach Tony Vitello during the Vols' NCAA game against Vanderbilt after a foul ball call when Vandy runner Isaiah Thomas caught a batted ball in foul territory. 

The Ask the UEFL question before us ponders whether a baserunner touching a batted ball in foul territory can constitute interference. Although this analysis uses the NCAA ruleset, both professional OBR and high school NFHS rules are similar.

In addition to the definition of "foul ball" holding that a batted ball is foul when it touches a player in foul territory prior to bounding past first or third base, the relevant rule regarding interference is NCAA 8-5-d, which states that "a runner is out when—the runner interferes intentionally with a throw or thrown ball, or interferes with a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball" (the Official Baseball Rules/pro version is OBR 5.09(b)(3), "he intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball").

Pursuant to this rule, the interference with a batted ball need not be intentional and the batted ball need not be fair. By the strictest reading of 8-5-d, Thomas could have conceivably been called for interference.

That said, the spirit of the rule as well as tenets of common sense and fair play factor in here: was this ball likely to be fair if not for the runner's actions? If interference was to be called on this ground ball in foul territory, what precisely did R3 interfere with F5 from doing—if the only answer is "fielding a foul ball," is this truly interference meritorious of an out call?

Gil's Call: Given the overwhelming evidence to suggest this ball would have otherwise been foul if not for the runner's touch (Coach Vitello said "It would have taken an awkward bounce for the thing to be fair, obviously"), the common sense interpretation of 8-5-d here would be to leave this play alone and simply call the ball foul, as the umpires did.

As for the ejection, ESPN/SEC's broadcasters used the phrase "when they're on their way back to the dugout," an oft-used "they were walking away" argument. However, analysis of the film at the moment umpire Spagnardi dips his right shoulder to begin his ejection mechanic, Coach Vitello, clearly has his face turned toward the umpire and appears to be verbally engaged.

So much for walking away.

In regard to the reason for ejection, Vitello perhaps unwittingly explained that the conversation with Spanardi had veered into ejectable territory: "For whatever reason, it got real personal in a hurry. It was a lot less about the things going in the game than it was more personal."

Video as follows:

Gimenez Puts Out Eaton - Tmac & Gil Debate

White Sox batter-runner Adam Eaton pushed Indians shortstop Andres Gimenez after 2B Umpire Bill Miller called Eaton out on a tag play, alleging that Gimenez illegally forced him off of second base to create the out. In our debate, Gil says safe & tmac says out. What's the rule?

Play: With one on and none out, White Sox batter Adam Eaton hit a ground ball to Indians right fielder Josh Naylor, who threw to third baseman Jose Ramirez as Tim Anderson slid into third base and back to shortstop Andres Gimenez as Eaton slid into second base, ruled out by 2B Umpire Bill Miller.

Rule: As a reference point, we consider the Official Baseball Rules' definition for overslide/oversliding ("the act of an offensive player when his slide to a base, other than when advancing from home to first base, is with such momentum that he loses contact with the base") and the MLB Umpire Manual's approved interpretation: "If in the judgment of an umpire, a runner is pushed or forced off a base by a fielder, intentionally or unintentionally, at which the runner would have otherwise been called safe, the umpire has the authority and discretion under the circumstances to return the runner to the base he was forced off following the conclusion of the play."

Considerations & History: As we reviewed during the 2020 World Series when Dodgers batter-runner Max Muncy slid into second base and Rays shortstop Willy Adames, several questions help toward solving this puzzle: Did the runner have body control that would have enabled him to undoubtedly remain on the base if not for the fielder's actions? Did the runner push the fielder off-balance first or did the fielder on his own volition push or force the runner from the base? Perhaps the most famous instance of this type of play was Kent Hrbek lifting Ron Gant's foot off of first base during the 1991 World Series.

Related Post: Was Max Muncy's Fall From 2nd Base a Legal Out? (10/24/20).

Remember, the MLBUM interpretation states the fielder's actions may be either intentional or unintentional, but the underlying question is whether the fielder's actions were caused by the runner or not. If so, we might have incidental contact, but if not, we might have a situation where this interp could apply.

Finally, as this play concluded with a benches-clearing incident, we consider Eaton's post-play shove of Gimenez. Could further disruption to the game have been prevented by the umpire getting in between the players or is the "new normal" to let players have at it and sort out the trouble afterward? With replays clearly indicating Eaton continuing to argue with Miller during the unsportsmanlike event, could Miller's refraining from entering the fray have saved an escalation between Eaton and Miller?

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 011 - Jordan Baker (1; Alex Cora)

HP Umpire Jordan Baker ejected Red Sox Manager Alex Cora (foul ball call; QOCN) in the bottom of the 8th inning of the #RedSox-#Twins game. With one out and two on, Twins batter Ryan Jeffers attempted to strike a 1-2 changeup from Red Sox pitcher Matt Andriese, ruled a foul ball by Baker. Replays indicate Jeffers' bat did not make contact with Andriese's pitch as it bounced into the mitt of catcher Christian Vasquez, the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the game was tied, 3-3. The Twins ultimately won the contest, 4-3.

This is Jordan Baker (71)'s first ejection of 2021.
Jordan Baker now has -2 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB - 4 Incorrect Call = -2).
Crew Chief Mark Carlson now has 1 point in Crew Division (1 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 1).

This is the 11th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the sixth manager ejection of 2021.

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

This is Jordan Baker's 1st ejection since July 26, 2020 (Derek Holland; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Alex Cora's 1st ejection since August 3, 2019 (Mike Estabrook; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Boston Red Sox vs. Minnesota Twins, 4/15/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 010 - Phil Cuzzi (1; Bud Black)

HP Umpire Phil Cuzzi ejected Rockies Manager Bud Black (strike two call; QOCY) in the top of the 3rd inning of the #Rockies-#Dodgers game. With one out and one on (R1), Rockies batter Garrett Hampson took a 0-1 sinker from Dodgers pitcher Dustin May for a called second strike. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the inner half of home plate and at the hollow of the knee (px -0.51, pz 1.36 [sz_bot 1.51 / RAD 1.39 / MOE 1.30]) and all other pitches during the at-bat were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of the ejection, the Dodgers were leading, 2-0. The Dodgers ultimately won the contest, 4-2.

This is Phil Cuzzi (10)'s first ejection of 2021.
Phil Cuzzi now has 4 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 4).
Crew Chief Tom Hallion now has 2 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 2).

*This pitch was located 0.67 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the 10th ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the fifth manager ejection of 2021.

This is Colorado's 2nd ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL West (COL 2; SD 1; ARI, LAD, SF 0).

This is Bud Black's 1st ejection since August 28, 2019 (Jerry Meals; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Phil Cuzzi's 1st ejection since August 17, 2019 (CC Sabathia; QOC = U [Injured List USC]).

Wrap: Colorado Rockies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, 4/14/21 | Video as follows:

2021 No-Hitter 2, Doug Eddings (1; Carlos Rodón)

HP Umpire Doug Eddings called Chicago White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodón's no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in Chicago Wednesday evening, joined by 1B Umpire Brian Knight, 2B Umpire Gabe Morales, and Crew Chief Bill Miller at third base.

Eddings saw a total of 262 pitches in his first career no-hitter, of which 131 were callable.

In accordance with UEFL tradition, the following are umpire Eddings' three plate scores, including a 99.2% (130/131) performance under ML Private/Zone Evaluation Equivalent conditions, 99.2% (130/131) UEFL f/x score, and 97.7% (128/131) value for ML Public / the broadcast-facing zero error system.

The UEFL f/x look:

Balls: 87 called balls outside strike zone / 0 called balls within strike zone = 87/87 = 100.0% accuracy.

Strikes: 43 called strikes within strike zone / 1 called strike outside strike zone = 43/44 = 97.7% accuracy.

Total Raw Accuracy Score for Eddings = 130/131 = 99.2% accuracy (+1 CWS/skew favored Chicago).

Teachable - Walk off Pickoff with Chris Guccione

With Kansas City leading 3-2 and Los Angeles threatening with the bases loaded and two out in the 9th inning Tuesday night, Angels baserunner R3 David Fletcher wandered a little too far off third base, leaving 3B Umpire Chris Guccione to officiate a pickoff play when Royals catcher Salvador Perez threw to third baseman Hunter Dozier as Fletcher dove back into the base.

With fielder Dozier facing home plate and the tag area in front of his body, that meant a necessary position adjustment for 3B Umpire Guccione, who hustled parallel to the foul line to observe the moment of truth and render a game-ending verdict, which was confirmed via Replay Review.

In this Teachable Moment, tmac reviews Guccione's journey toward officiating this play correctly, including how Gooch moved to capture the valuable keyhole angle during a fast-developing sequence.

Video as follows:

Teachable - Catcher's Interference on a Check Swing

In our latest Ask the UEFL turned Tmac's Teachable Moments, we answer the question, "can you have catcher's interference on a check swing?" As Tmac explains, yes such a call is possible and we visit HP Umpire Nick Mahrley in Seattle for an example of such a play.

After Mariners batter Tom Murphy attempts to check his swing on a 1-2 offering from White Sox pitcher Dallas Keuchel, HP Umpire Mahrley hears two sounds as the baseball enters catcher Yasmani Grandal's mitt as immediately calls "Time" to acknowledge the dead ball.

As we view the play in slow motion, it becomes apparent that the batter's bat made contact with the catcher's mitt and we turn to the rulebook for an answer.

The Official Baseball Rule's definition for interference states, "defensive interference is an act by a fielder that hinders or prevents a batter from hitting a pitch" and as we wrote in Case Play 2018-3, a batter need not actually swing for catcher's interference to be called. In this situation, the batter's check swing is arrested by contact with the catcher's paraphernalia before the catcher actually catches the pitch, suggesting that interference did indeed occur.

Related Post: Case Play 2018-3 - No Strike, No Balk, No Steal [Solved] (5/10/18).

CI is enforced through OBR 6.01(c) ("batter becomes a runner and is entitled to first base without liability to be put out; if a play follows the interference, the manager of the offense may advise the plate umpire that he elects to decline the interference penalty and accept the play").

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 009 - Tim Timmons (1; Don Mattingly)

HP Umpire Tim Timmons ejected Marlins Manager Don Mattingly (Replay Review call that overturned 2B Umpire Alfonso Marquez's safe call to an out; QOCU) in the top of the 8th inning of the #Marlins-#Braves game. With none out and one on (R1), Marlins baserunner R1 Jon Berti attempted to steal second base, sliding head-first into second as Braves catcher Alex Jackson's throw to shortstop Dansby Swanson arrived at second base, ruled an out by 2B Umpire Marquez and overturned as the result of a Manager's Challenge by Braves Manager Brian Snitker. Replays fail to conclusively indicate whether Berti's hand made contact with second base before or after Swanson's glove tagged Berti, the call to overturn Marquez was incorrect. Play was reviewed and affirmed by the UEFL Appeals Board (8-0), the call was incorrect. At the time of the ejection, the Braves were leading, 3-1. The Marlins ultimately won the contest, 5-3.

This is Tim Timmons (95)'s 1st ejection of 2021.
Tim Timmons now has 0 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB - 2 Incorrect-Crewmate = 0).
Crew Chief Alfonso Marquez now has 0 points in Crew Division (0 Previous + 0 Incorrect Call = 0).

This is the ninth ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the fourth manager ejection of 2021.

This is Miami's 1st ejection of 2021, 1st in the NL East (MIA 1; ATL, MIA, NYM, PHI 0).

This is Don Mattingly's 1st ejection since August 16, 2020 (James Hoye; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Tim Timmons' 1st ejection since August 16, 2020 (Ron Gardenhire; QOC = Y [Boundary]).

Wrap: Miami Marlins vs. Atlanta Braves, 4/12/21 | Video as follows:

Court Awards Joe West $500,000 in Suit vs Paul Lo Duca

A Supreme Court Justice in New York awarded umpire Joe West over $500,000 in his defamation lawsuit against former MLB player Paul Lo Duca, which had alleged that LoDuca made untrue statements about West on a podcast that was widely disseminated.

The Court's order, signed off on April 9, 2021 by Justice John J. Kelley was received by the state's electronic filing system on April 12, making for a most unusual of birthday presents for Lo Duca, who was born on April 12, 1972.

The case stems from Lo Duca's comments on a podcast in May 2019. West subsequently filed a defamation claim against Lo Duca, writing that "these statements impugn the integrity, honesty and professional fitness of Mr. West and affect his profession as a Major League Baseball umpire."

Related Post: Pants on Fire - Paul Lo Duca's Joe West Accusation (5/10/19).

Related Post: Joe West Sues Paul LoDuca Over Bribery Claim (10/22/19).

The case also revealed a glimpse at West's plans for the future. They include:

> West plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2021 season.

> West plans to participate in income-generating public speaking engagements thereafter.

> West anticipates he will be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame as an umpire.

The Court granted default judgment in favor of West in July 2020.

Related Post: Joe West Wins Defamation Lawsuit Against Paul Lo Duca (7/13/20).

West's attorney Kevin Murphy stated, "Joe is very pleased with this result and we are glad that Mr. Lo Duca is being held accountable for his actions."

Video as follows:

Replay Concepts - A Clear & Convincing Review

After Sunday Night Baseball's Phillies-Braves Replay Review controversy, the one remaining question pertained to MLB's "clear and convincing" standard, whereupon umpires in New York rule on whether video evidence stringently supports one of two outcomes.

To borrow from Philadelphia-Atlanta, if the burden of proof was met to support the theory that the runner touched home plate, the correct replay outcome would be "confirmed"; if the burden of proof was met to support the theory that the runner never touched home plate, the correct replay outcome would be "overturned"; and if neither of these two scenarios applied, the outcome would be "call stands," which is what transpired.

Related Post: Replay Rewind - Phillies' Play at the Plate in Atlanta (4/11/21).

The problem, once again, with ATL-PHI was that no readily available video angle provided an unobstructed view at the runner's interaction with home plate: whether because of an umpire's pant leg in the way, dirt being kicked up, or parallax angle, the video evidence didn't satisfy the high burden of proof required for confirming or overturning a call.

That's how nit-picky MLB's Replay Rules are: even if it appears physically impossible that the runner would have touched home plate, unless a camera angle fully proves that to be the case, it is inadmissible in the sense that it fails to conclusively confirm whether the plate was touched or not: all it takes is a frame or two of inconclusiveness where the runner "could have" touched home plate (even though the runner may likely have not) for "call stands" to enter into the equation.

Remember, the only outcome looking to prove that the runner did touch home plate is "confirmed." For "overturned" to apply, the video must conclusively prove the runner wholeheartedly did not touch home plate. Absent this, "call stands" by rule is the logical outcome: this is what is referred to in the difficulty in proving a negative: proving that something did not happen...because for every frame in which home plate and/or the runner's foot is blocked or distorted from view, the runner could have touched the plate and the evidence that the runner conclusively did not do so is blocked or obstructed in some way.

This is why HP Umpire Lance Barrett's on-field ruling of "safe" was so important. Unless MLB were to change its replay rules to a standard of probability rather than assuredness, the original call will always have two-to-one odds (e.g., confirmed & stands [2] vs overturned [1]).

Where Call Stands Errs: Perhaps the best way to illustrate this concept is by finding a clear and convincing example of a Replay Official erring on a call that should be overturned.

Enter Saturday's Detroit-Cleveland game in which Jordan Luplow hit a fly ball to the wall in left field, ruled a double (not HR) on the field. Here, the proof wasn't of a negative, it was of a positive: in order to overturn the call, all the Replay Official would need is evidence that the ball did something (in this case, hit the black railing atop the yellow line and behind the outfield wall). Yet despite a diagonal camera angle appearing to indicate the ball changed direction along the railing—suggestive of the ball making contact with the structure—replay nonetheless returned a "call stands" verdict.

THIS version of "call stands" would thus appear to be incorrect, for clear and convincing evidence to suggest that something did definitively happen, as opposed to PHI-ATL, where in replay failed to conclusively prove whether or not something did not occur. In other words, to prove the affirmative/positive instance that something did happen, only one example of the action occurring is sufficient to satisfy the burden of proof, whereas to prove the absence/negative that something did not happen, every instance of evidence must conform to prove that the action definitively did not occur.

Video as follows:

Replay Rewind - Phillies' Play at the Plate in Atlanta

When Replay Review upheld HP Umpire Lance Barrett's safe call on Phillies runner Alec Bohm's go-ahead run in the 9th inning against Atlanta Sunday night, the Braves looked to have fallen victim to MLB's video review rules and the infamous "call stands" outcome.

In sum, Bohm tagged from third base on batter Didi Gregorius' sacrifice fly to left fielder Marcell Ozuna, who threw to Braves catcher Travis d'Arnaud as Bohm slid into home plate where he either did or did not make contact with the plate using his left shoe, with HP Umpire Barrett ruling the runner safe and Atlanta Manager Brian Snitker challenging the call.

Enter Replay Review, which after several minutes determined that not enough video evidence existed—it wasn't "clear and convincing"—to prove the runner had failed to touch home plate, and for that reason, the on-field ruling of "safe" stood. Philadelphia scored its seventh run of the ballgame and went on to win the contest, 7-6.

Had MLB's Replay Review been set up to call plays as they presented themselves based on a most probable standard—with two options, "safe" or "out" as the case may be—the outcome here likely would have been an out call.

But since Replay Review splits up outcomes into call confirmed (the evidence is clear and convincing that the umpire's call was correct), overturned (the evidence is clear and convincing that the umpire's call was incorrect), and stands (the evidence fails to meet that threshold)—made even more difficult by the logically arduous and complex task of trying to prove a negative, that something did not happen (that the runner did not touch home plate)—the outcome here in the judgment of the Replay Official was "call stands" for lack of evidence.

Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 008 - Laz Diaz (1; Scott Servais)

2B Umpire Laz Diaz ejected Mariners Manager Scott Servais (warnings) in the bottom of the 7th inning of the #Mariners-#Twins game. With none out and none on in the top of the 7th, Mariners batter Ty France took a 2-0 fastball from Twins pitcher Cody Stashak for a hit-by-pitch. In the bottom of the 7th, Twins batter Byron Buxton took a 0-1 changeup from Mariners pitcher Will Vest for a hit-by-pitch. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and struck Buxton in the back, the call was irrecusable.* At the time of the ejection, the Twins were leading, 6-5. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 8-6.

This is Laz Diaz (63)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Laz Diaz now has 1 point in the UEFL Standings (-1 Prev + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 1).

Crew Chief Laz Diaz now has 2 points in Crew Division (1 Previous + 1 Irrecusable Call = 2).

*A pitch need not be intentionally thrown at the batter in order for an umpire to warn both teams. Pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 6.02(c)(9): "If, in the umpire's judgment, circumstances warrant, both teams may be officially 'warned' prior to the game or at any time during the game."

This is the eighth ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the third manager ejection of 2021.

This is Seattle's 1st ejection of 2021, T-1st in the AL West (LAA, SEA 1; HOU, OAK, TEX 0).

This is Scott Servais' 1st ejection since Sept 8, 2020 (John Libka; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Laz Diaz's 1st ejection since September 7, 2019 (Nelson Cruz; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins, 4/11/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 007 - Manny Gonzalez (1; Matt Shoemaker)

HP Umpire Manny Gonzalez ejected Twins pitcher Matt Shoemaker (ball two call; QOCY) in the top of the 6th inning of the #Mariners-#Twins game. With none out and none on, Mariners batter Jose Marmolejos took a 1-2 pitch from Twins pitcher Shoemaker for a called second ball. Replays indicate the pitch was located over the outer half of home plate and above the midpoint (px -0.34, pz 3.56 [sz_top 3.47 / RAD 3.59 / MOE 3.51]) and that all other callable pitches during the half-inning immediately preceding ejection were properly officiated, the call was correct.* At the time of Shoemaker's ejection three runs after the consequential pitch, the Twins were leading, 6-4. The Mariners ultimately won the contest, 8-6.

This is Manny Gonzalez (79)'s 1st ejection of 2021.

Manny Gonzalez now has 5 points in the UEFL Standings (1 Prev + 2 MLB + 2 Correct Call = 5).

Crew Chief Laz Diaz now has 1 point in Crew Division (0 Previous + 1 Correct Call = 1).

*This pitch was located 0.60 vertical inches from being deemed incorrect.

This is the seventh ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is the fourth player ejection of 2021. Prior to ejection, Shoemaker's line was 5.0 IP, 4 ER, 2 HR.

This is Minnesota's 1st ejection of 2021, 1st in the AL Central (MIN 1; CLE, CWS, DET, KC 0).

This is Matt Shoemaker's 1st ejection since August 16, 2020 (Vic Carapazza; QOC = Y [Balls/Strikes]).

This is Manny Gonzalez's 1st ejection since Sept 30, 2020 (Eddie Rosario; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Seattle Mariners vs. Minnesota Twins, 4/11/21 | Video as follows:

MLB Ejection 006 - Greg Gibson (1; Mike Borzello)

HP Umpire Greg Gibson ejected Cubs catching coach Mike Borzello (warnings) in the top of the 4th inning of the #Cubs-#Pirates game. After Cubs batter Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch from Pirates pitcher JT Brubaker in the top of the 3rd inning, Cubs batter Anthony Rizzo hit a 3-0 sinker from Brubaker on the ground to Pirates first baseman Colin Moran, who threw to shortstop Kevin Newman as Contreras slid into second base, originally ruled an out (no interference) by 2B Umpire Ryan Additon and overturned to slide rule interference (double play) upon Manager's Challenge by Pirates Manager Derek Shelton.* 

After Pirates batter Dustin Fowler was hit by a pitch in the bottom of the 3rd inning, Cubs batter Kris Bryant in the top of the 4th inning took a first-pitch sinker from Brubaker for a hit-by-pitch, resulting in warnings. Replays indicate the pitch was located off the inner edge of home plate and struck Bryant in the elbow, the call was irrecusable. At the time of the ejection, the Pirates were leading, 4-1. The Pirates ultimately won the contest, 7-1.

This is Greg Gibson (53)'s first ejection of the 2021 MLB regular season.
Greg Gibson now has 2 points in the UEFL Standings (0 Prev + 2 MLB + 0 Irrecusable Call = 2).
Crew Chief Greg Gibson now has 0 points in Crew Division (-1 Previous + 1 Irrecusable Call = 0).

*The four criteria with which to determine whether a runner has engaged in a bona fide slide in accordance with Official Baseball Rule 6.01(j) [YES/NO in regard to Contreras' slide] are:

(1) begins his slide (i.e., makes contact with the ground) before reaching the base [YES];

(2) is able and attempts to reach the base with his hand or foot [NO];

(3) is able and attempts to remain on the base (except home plate) after completion of the slide [NO];

(4) slides within reach of the base without changing his pathway for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder [MAYBE].

Related Play (for comparison): MLB Ejection 005 - Jerry Layne (1; Joe Maddon) (4/10/21).

Related Post (cc microphones): Tmac's Teachable Moments - Let's Fix Replay (1/19/17).

This is the sixth ejection report of the 2021 MLB regular season.

This is Chicago-NL's 1st ejection of 2021, T-1st in the NL Central (CHC, CIN 1; MIL, PIT, STL 0).

This is Mike Borzello's 1st ejection since August 29, 2020 (Nic Lentz; QOC = U [Warnings]).

This is Greg Gibson's 1st ejection since September 20, 2019 (Dave Roberts; QOC = N [Balls/Strikes]).

Wrap: Chicago Cubs vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, 4/11/21 | Video as follows: