PHILADELPHIA — Phillies manager Rob Thomson was ejected in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 9-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers for arguing when plate umpire Roberto Ortiz apparently wouldn’t reset the pitch clock after Aaron Nola requested a new baseball.
While facing David Peralta with two outs, Nola took a return throw from catcher J.T. Realmuto, circled behind the mound and indicated to Ortiz that he wanted a new baseball and threw the one he had toward the Phillies’ dugout.
Ortiz handed a ball to Realmuto but put both arms out to his side, and the pitch clock was not reset. It appeared that there were 10 seconds on the clock when Nola threw the baseball away.
Thomson emerged from the dugout and began a heated exchange with Ortiz before becoming even more vehemently upset with third-base umpire Bill Miller, who tossed Thomson.
Phillies fans gave Thomson a loud ovation as he walked off the field. The manager angrily folded his game notes when he returned to the dugout before leaving for his clubhouse office.
Under baseball’s new pace-of-play rules, pitchers have 15 seconds to deliver a pitch with nobody on and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. The pitcher must start his delivery before the clock expires. After a pitch, the clock starts again when the pitcher has the ball back, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is otherwise ready to resume.
When a pitcher fails to throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball.
Nola has indicated that he has had to adjust to the new rules. He has requested new balls often during games this season, but umpires had obliged his requests without incident.