Frustration may have finally set in with Davey Martinez. The Washington Nationals received a eighth-inning ejection in Thursday’s loss to the New York Mets for arguing with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman.
Martinez was arguing with Drakeman after he called a strike three on Howie Kendrick’s check swing in the eighth inning. Kendrick appeared to argue why Dreckeman didn’t check to first base umpire Paul Emmel.
Kendrick exchanged words and walked back to the dugout. Maybe Martinez feeling the pressure of his team being on the verge of getting swept in the four-game series with the Mets, down 3-1 in the eighth. He walked out calmly and after a short conversation got tossed.
That’s when Martinez became animated, throwing his hat, kicking dirt at home plate, and following Dreckman around while throwing a few barbs.
Martinez’s reaction momentarily sparked his team. With him in the clubhouse, the Nationals rallied with a three-run inning highlighted by a two-run single by Gerardo Parra that gave the Nationals’ a 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the rally was short-lived, as the woeful Nationals bullpen gave up the lead off a three-run homer by Carlos Gomez in the bottom frame of the inning to lose 6-4.
The Nationals are now 19-31 on the season and on a five-game losing streak. Give Martinez some credit. Usually numb, Martinez saw the moment to try to give his team something to be mad about. His ejection worked for a brief moment, but it was all for naught.
With the way the season is going, it’s possible Thursday’s tirade was one of Martinez’s final acts as the Nats manager.
