Phillies' Papelbon Blows Save, Gets Ejected For Lewd Gesture At Fans
PHILADELPHIA (AP/CBS) — Jonathan Papelbon lost the lead and then lost his cool.
The Phillies closer made a lewd gesture to fans and was ejected after giving up four runs in the ninth inning during Philadelphia's 5-4 loss to the Miami Marlins on Sunday.
Papelbon grabbed his crotch as he walked to the dugout and was ejected by crew chief Joe West. He jogged out of the dugout and got into a face-to-face argument with West, who grasped the pitcher's jersey to hold him off, and Papelbon then argued with first base umpire Marty Foster. Papelbon threw a cup of liquid on the field before leaving the dugout.
"I told him 'You've got to go,'" West said. "And then he charged out of the dugout and his head bumped into my hat. And I grabbed him and I said, 'Get off of me.'
"The whole thing started because the fans booed him and he made an obscene gesture. He had no business doing that. He's got to be more professional than that. And that's why he was ejected."
Papelbon denied gesturing lewdly toward fans and said boos had no impact on him.
"This is baseball," Papelbon said. "I had to make an adjustment and I did it and by no means am I directing anything at any fans. . When I'm out there and in the moment, the fans are irrelevant to me. I don't see them. I don't hear them. To me, this is pretty stupid, to be totally honest with you.
"They pay money, they want to see a good game and they have the right to boo and do whatever they want to do, but when an umpire gets caught up in that and starts trying to look for extra things he may think are going on — just umpire the game."
Papelbon (2-3) had converted 14 straight save chances since July 22 when he entered with a 4-1 lead. He allowed five of his first six batters to reach, giving up Jarrod Saltalamacchia's double, Kike Hernandez's walk, Adeiny Hechavarria's infield single, Jordany Valdespin's RBI groundout, Christian Yelich's run-scoring infield single and pinch-hitter Justin Bour's tying single.
After Casey McGehee struck out, Papelbon bounced a wild pitch past catcher Carlos Ruiz as Yelich scored the go-ahead run. Papelbon retired Marcell Ozuna on an inning-ending groundout.
Papelbon blew a save for the fourth time in 41 chances this season. He had been 18 for 18 in career save chances against the Marlins.
Check out the back page of Monday's Philadelphia Daily News:
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