The Giants were already so short-handed that they had to start Joc Pederson in left field, and then they lost their third baseman. They won’t have their manager to sort through the wreckage, either.
Both J.D. Davis and Gabe Kapler got ejected in the third inning of Thursday night’s Blue Jays game. Davis was heated after taking a borderline full count fastball for strike three, and Kapler got tossed for coming to his defense.
Davis had never been ejected before in his career. He and Kapler are the first Giants to get tossed this season.
Davis struck out with two men on and was the third consecutive Giant to fan in that situation. When he was arguing, he appeared to motion “that’s twice” to home plate umpire John Tumpane, referencing a call in his first at-bat in which he also struck out.
The fastball that set Davis off in the third crossed the plate just a shade below the strike zone.
Casey Schmitt replaced Davis in the lineup.
Likely because of how quickly Tumpane ejected Davis, Kapler rushed out to express his frustration. Just as fast, the manager was gone.
Kapler, who philosophically doesn’t think getting ejected is at all beneficial, had only been tossed once before as the Giants manager. This was his sixth ejection overall in six seasons as a skipper.
Between innings, acting manager Kai Correa chatted with Tumpane, who later walked over to the Giants’ dugout after some more chirping.
Tumpane also talked to Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt after he left the mound, leading to Blue Jays manager John Schneider to start a dialogue.
Among the calls the Giants were potentially upset with was a pitch that Bassitt delivered with one second left on the pitch timer in which he just barely came set on the rubber.