The Dodgers-New York Mets game in Chavez Ravine erupted in controversy on Wednesday when Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected by first base umpire Phil Cuzzi for having a foreign substance on his glove and a potential substance on his hand in the middle of the fourth inning.
Scherzer had blanked the Dodgers on one hit through three innings, escaping a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the first, but he was forced to change gloves by the umpires before the third inning. As he took the mound for the fourth inning, the standard between-innings sticky stuff check took a lot longer than usual.
Mets manager Buck Showalter came out to the first base line as the discussion between Scherzer and home plate umpire Dan Bellino and Cuzzi grew more animated, with the television broadcast of the game showing Scherzer repeatedly yelling, “It’s rosin!”
Scherzer was automatically ejected from the game and replaced by right-hander Jimmy Yacabonis, who gave up a run in the fourth when Jason Heyward doubled with one out, took third on Miguel Vargas’ single to right and scored on David Peralta’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 Dodgers lead.
But the Mets countered with two runs off Dodgers right-hander Noah Syndergaard to take a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth, Francisco Alvarez reaching on an infield single and Brandon Nimmo driving a two-run homer to right field.
According to MLB rules, pitchers are to receive an automatic 10-game suspension if they are caught using illegal foreign substances to doctor baseballs.
