Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn ejected for belt toss at umpire
Chicago White Sox pitcher Lance Lynn was ejected from Wednesday night's game in Oakland after he threw his belt toward an umpire during a mid-inning equipment check.
The incident happened in the middle of the fourth inning. Although the White Sox were leading the A's 2-1, Lynn had already thrown 88 pitches and was visibly upset with some of the calls from home plate umpire Nick Mahrley.
His frustration may have boiled over by the time of the mandatory check for illegal substances MLB has implemented this season for every pitcher. As Lynn headed into the White Sox dugout, he placed his hat and glove on the dugout railing. The belt came next.
Lynn said he was trying to get attention from the White Sox training staff before the next inning, when third-base umpire Nic Lentz approached to do the substance check. He ejected Lynn after the belt toss.
“Obviously I hurt his feelings,” Lynn said after the game, a 3-2 White Sox win. “He threw me out because I threw my belt. I said, ‘If you were on time, we wouldn’t have this problem.’ ”
Lynn, perhaps the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young Award with a league-best 2.26 ERA, continued yelling a few parting comments at the umpiring crew before finally exiting the dugout.
Lynn pitched in and out of trouble throughout the first four innings – escaping a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third inning before allowing a solo home run to Oakland's Seth Brown in the fourth.
He yielded three hits and three walks over four innings, with four strikeouts.
Contributing: Associated Press