Ángel Hernández ejects three Royals in one inning, a breakdown

MLB Kansas City Royals

What Happened

In a tense matchup between the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Royals, home plate umpire Ángel Hernández finds himself at the center of multiple controversial calls in the sixth inning. The Royals hold a 4-0 lead, with pitcher Brady Singer delivering a strong performance through the first five innings. In the bottom of the sixth, Hernández rules that a pitch from Singer has hit Royals catcher Salvador Pérez in the belly, allowing the runner to take first base. Pérez, however, insists the ball hit his bat, not his body. Replays show the ball clearly striking the knob of Pérez's bat, but Hernández sticks with his initial call, sending the runner to first base. The next batter, José Ramírez of the Indians, questions Hernández's decision, but the umpire holds firm. The missed call allows the runners to come around and score, tightening the game to a 4-2 Royals lead. Later in the inning, Hernández calls a balk on Royals pitcher Singer, a decision that Royals manager Mike Matheny strongly disagrees with. Matheny argues with Hernández, but the umpire stands by his call, leading to the ejection of the Royals bench coach. Furious with Hernández's rulings, the Royals continue to voice their displeasure, with one player yelling, "Two f***ing calls, two f***ing calls!" Hernández responds by ejecting the player as well, further escalating the confrontation. Matheny then approaches Hernández, seemingly agreeing with his players' assessment of the umpire's performance. Hernández ejects Matheny, making it three Royals personnel tossed from the game in a single inning. As the game resumes, the runner who was the subject of the balk call eventually scores, further angering the Royals dugout. Pitcher Singer is visibly frustrated, shouting and gesturing in response to the sequence of events. Umpire Hernández, wearing a distinctive mask, appears perplexed by the intense reaction, seemingly unaware of the growing criticism surrounding his officiating. The incident serves as another example of Hernández's contentious history with players and managers, as the veteran umpire continues to draw the ire of those he oversees on the field.

Full Transcript

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the royals are beating the indians four

nothing in the sixth inning brady

singer's got a good

game going he's through five in the

third zero runs