Tampa Bay Rays' Taylor Walls, center, is held back after he's ejected by Umpire Nic Lentz, left, for tapping his helmet after a strike call during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros in Houston, Sunday, June 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
June 01, 2025 - 2:17 PM
HOUSTON (AP) — Tampa Bay Rays infielder Taylor Walls was ejected Sunday in the ninth inning of a 1-0 loss to Houston and had to be restrained during a prolonged argument.
Walls appeared to tap his helmet after taking a called strike, which is a signal for challenging a call when the Automated Ball-Strike System is used. The ABS is not, however, being used in regular-season big league games yet, and plate umpire Nic Lentz seemed to take issue with the gesture. The clash escalated from there, with Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash coming out to talk to Lentz and try to keep Walls away from him.
Walls was walked back toward the dugout before breaking free and charging at a couple umpires who were in the home plate area. He was quickly grabbed from behind by first base coach Michael Johns, and this time Rays outfielder Josh Lowe walked him back to dugout.
Christopher Morel replaced Walls at the plate and went down swinging for the second out of the ninth.
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