Craig Stammen Ejected: The MLB Rulebook Called It Before He Even Stepped On The Field

Alright, Emerald City, can we talk about what just went down on the diamond? You think you've seen it all, right? You watch every game, every pitch, hoping for some magic. Well, Padres manager Craig Stammen, a dude who pitched 562 games over 13 seasons, finally got himself tossed for the first time ever on Saturday. And get this: it was both as a player and a manager! What a completely bonkers turn of events!

The Ejection No One Saw Coming (Except MLB's Rulebook)

It all went sideways in the bottom of the seventh at Nationals Park. San Diego was up 3-1, and starting pitcher Michael King was cruising along, looking like he had this thing locked down. Then BAM! Bases loaded, no outs. Fernando Tatis Jr. makes a sick play, throws to second base, and he clearly beats Dylan Crews. But Xander Bogaerts did not appear to touch the bag on the receive, and Crews was called safe anyway. The tying run scores. Stammen challenges, hoping for a lifeline, and the replay upholds the call! Can you believe it? The man emerged from the dugout, walked onto the field, and despite his usually congenial self, got the boot. MLB's rulebook is crystal clear on this: "Once replay review is initiated, on-field personnel from either club who further argue the contested calls or the decision of the replay official shall be ejected." Stammen himself admitted, smiling, "Typically, if you go out on a replay review, you’re getting ejected. Took them a while to send me, did what I could. I guess I’m too nice sometimes." Bench coach Randy Knorr had to step in for the 32-25 manager, and you just know the vibes were off after that.

From Collapse to Homer: A Wild Inning

That ejection was the tip of the iceberg for what became a truly nightmare seventh inning for the Padres. After King was pulled for hitting Crews to load the bases, Bradgley Rodriguez came in, gave up the tying run on that safe call, then walked the next guy to put San Diego behind, 4-3. A single up the middle scored two more runs, vaulting Washington in front 6-3. Then, to twist the knife, they couldn't even turn a double-play off Daylen Lile's bat, bringing in yet another run, making it 7-3. And like that, a 3-1 lead vanished into thin air, a game they had total command of half an inning earlier, and they ended up losing 9-4. Tatis Jr. summed it up perfectly: "There’s no off-days over here, man. This game will find a way to still punish you."

And speaking of Tatis, guess what? The dude finally went yard! After a painful 207 at-bats this season, Fernando Tatis Jr. launched his first home run, a Statcast-projected 451-foot blast to deep left field, on a 1-0 pitch from Nationals starter Foster Griffin after faking a bunt on the first offering. His reaction? "I just knew right away. About [expletive] time!" You gotta love that raw honesty, right? That's 55 homerless games for him to start the season, second only to Carl Yastrzemski in 1972 for a guy who'd previously hit 40+ dingers. He’d been hitting .480 in his past seven games, so you knew it was coming. Stammen said he'd been "carrying that burden," and you could tell. Even with his power numbers lagging, the Padres are still seven games over .500, but guys like Manny Machado with a .632 OPS and center fielder Jackson Merrill with a .601 OPS are struggling too. Xander Bogaerts figures Tatis will "sleep a little better tonight knowing he has a one," and honestly, who wouldn't?

Emerald City Wins!

Crazy stuff happening out there in the league, right? But hey, while the rest of the league is having their dramatics, our Mariners were out there doing what they do best! How about that 7-6 nail-biter win against the Arizona Diamondbacks? Clutch! What a game for the Emerald City! Keeps us on our toes, doesn't it? Let's keep that momentum rolling, Seattle. We'll be back at T-Mobile Park next, ready for more action!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.