Adrian Gonzalez ejected for telling umpire to hustle

PHOENIX -- Though the final score on Wednesday didn't reflect it, the Dodgers were somehow close to the Diamondbacks. Close enough that when Michael Young was called out at the plate in the sixth inning, that was a large play in the game. Adrian Gonzalez was ejected for arguing the call, from second base.

Gonzalez was standing on second base after what he thought was an RBI double that would have brought the Dodgers to within 4-3. But Young was called out at home plate. Not by home plate umpire Joe West, but rather by first base umpire Jim Joyce, as the umpires were on a rotation with a ball hit into left field.

Gonzalez didn't think Joyce was in proper position to make the call.

"He's got to go from first base to home," Gonzalez said. "I was more mad that he was not in position to make the call. It's not that he wanted to get it wrong, it's that he didn't see it."

Standing at second base, Gonzalez was yelling to Joyce at first base when second base umpire Andy Fletcher ejected the first baseman.

"If you're going to move around as a crew, hustle. Just get there. Get in position and make the call right. He was still pretty far from home plate, because his view wasn't that great," Gonzalez explained. "That's what I said and he didn't feel it was appropriate, so he tossed me. That's his decision."

Gonzalez was replaced by Juan Uribe, who stayed in the game for defense in the bottom of the inning. Manager Don Mattingly said he didn't want to use Dee Gordon to pinch run there just to burn him that early in the game. Gordon entered the game on defense in the eighth inning.

The ejection from second base wasn't the first run in for Gonzalez with the umpiring crew on Wednesday night, though the first one was a little more playful.

In the third inning when Stephen Fife was struggling on the mound, both Gonzalez and manager Don Mattingly started to walk to the mound. But West, having already seen pitching coach Rick Honeycutt visit the mound during Chris Owings' at-bat, emphatically gestured toward both Gonzalez and Mattingly to go back to their positions and move the game along.

"I was just going too fast trying to get out there," Mattingly said. "Rick had already been out there, you have to wait until the hitter is done."

Gonzalez tried to stall some more.

"I knew I had to stall for time, so I was like, 'Joe where do you want me to go? Do we want me to stand on first base or be next to it?' and he said 'I dont care where you go, just go back there'," Gonzalez said, laughing. "I was trying to buy time."

Up next

The Dodgers send Ricky Nolasco to the mound on getaway day on Thursday afternoon with National League West match point No. 2. Arizona counters left-hander Wade Miley in the series finale. If the Dodgers are worried, they don't sound like it.

"We're fine," Gonzalez said. "Win tomorrow, and if not win two in San Diego."