Alex Cora ejected for arguing bad strike call on Benintendi

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora was ejected for just the second time in his managerial career after arguing with the umpires following the fifth inning of Saturday’s Game 1 of the ALCS.

Andrew Benintendi was called out on strikes to end the fifth on a 3-2 pitch that was a tad outside. Benintendi was not happy about the strike call that got Houston Astros pitcher Justin Verlander out of a jam with runners on second and third.

Cora was apparently yelling at the umpires after the inning and got tossed. Reporters say he had words for home plate umpire James Hoye and then ran onto the field and let Joe West have it following his ejection.

MLB.com’s pitch tracker showed that the pitch to Benintendi that was called a strike was outside:

Benintendi strikes out looking and throws his helmet, bat and gloves. Coaches had to get him out of there.

He had a point: pic.twitter.com/TrUojgcGH6

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) October 14, 2018

The pitch being called for a third strike instead of a walk ended the inning instead of loading the bases in a 2-2 game. Verlander gave up a hit, walked three, and wild-pitched in a run in the fifth and was lucky to get a call the helped him out of the inning.