It happened in the top of the sixth with a runner on first and two outs with the Orioles leading 8-2. On the first pitch of the Stubbs at-bat, Orioles starter Corbin Burnes threw a 78 mph curveball that bounced before it reached the catcher. Home plate umpire Mike Estabrook initally ruled that it hit Stubbs in the foot and awarded him first base. However, after a discussion with the other umpires, Estabrook called Stubbs back to first, changing the call to ball one and essentially reversing the HBP call, which led Thomson to come out of the dugout for an explanation.
Thomson was calm initially, but he seemed to get riled up by what Estabrook had to say. Thomson began yelling in the face of Estabrook, and after dropping a few curse words, Estabrook tossed him.
Phillies manager Rob Thompson lost his mind after the umpires reversed the HBP call on Garrett Stubbs pic.twitter.com/jKRf6Iu4nW
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 16, 2024
Television broadcasters speculated that some questionable ball-strike calls by Estabrook may have contributed to Thomson's anger. Whatever the reason, he and Estabrook were yelling in each other's faces for quite a while before the crew chief got in between them.
Stubbs proceeded to fly out on the very next pitch to end the inning. The Orioles won the game 8-3 to win the series.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
