Bruce Bochy Addresses Ejection Vs. Red Sox After Rangers Win

Bruce Bochy prematurely departed while the Texas Rangers defeated the Boston Red Sox, 6-4, at Globe Life Field on Tuesday night.

After being disgruntled by a called ball from Rangers pitcher Andrew Heaney in the seventh inning, Bochy was tossed from the game during an at-the-time tight 4-3 Texas lead over Boston. Animated as expected, the longtime big-league skipper didn’t back down, as instead, Bochy went head-to-head with home plate umpire Ben May before taking his walk back to the clubhouse.

“I thought the pitch was a strike,” Bochy told reporters postgame, per Bally Sports video. “It looked like it was right there. It’s hard to tell from the dugout obviously. There’s a couple of others. Inning four, I thought that it got called on us so frustration sure, but it’s part of the game. The staff just now just said, ‘Hey, I need to leave the dugout a little bit more.’ It’s just one of those moments. That’s my job.”

Considering where the Rangers stand in late September, Bochy’s reaction and attention to every potentially game-changing call is that much more understandable.

The Rangers, who improved to 83-68, are tied with the Seattle Mariners in the American League Wild Card race for the final playoff spot. The Rangers are also a 1/2 game back for the top spot in the AL West. Texas was riding a four-game losing streak, too, adding more fuel to an already fired-up Bochy.

With 12 games left for the Rangers to play and four ejections under Bochy’s belt this season, there’s still plenty of time left for either Texas to secure its October spot or for Bochy to blow a gasket before Game 162.