NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro wanted to find out if Will Warren was committing a balk in the first inning when he was ejected by second base umpire Nestor Ceja in Saturday鈥檚 to the New York Yankees.
鈥淚 actually wasn鈥檛 arguing,鈥� Quatraro said. 鈥淚 was just trying to get some clarification. We鈥檝e been told that if the pitcher鈥檚 on the rubber, he鈥檚 about to start and then he goes to touch the PitchCom, it should be a balk because it鈥檚 essentially doing starting and stopping twice.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I was trying to get some clarification on. So, I was not out there to get ejected, but that鈥檚 the way it ended up.”
After Maikel Garcia was stranded at second base and nearly picked off, Quatraro raced out to start arguing with Ceja and Chris Guccione as the Royals took the field.
鈥淭hey said it wasn鈥檛 a balk,鈥� Quatraro said. 鈥淭heir interpretation of it was that it was not a balk.鈥�
The argument did not appear heated initially, but when Quatraro turned away he was tossed. Bench coach Paul Hoover took over as manager for Kansas City.
鈥淚t’s just a difference in how different crews interpret it and how they call it,鈥� Quatraro said.
It was Quatraro鈥檚 eighth career ejection since becoming Kansas City鈥檚 manager in 2023.
After Quatraro was tossed, the Royals lost their sixth straight and for the ninth time in 11 games.
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