Phillies’ Rob Thomson ejected in fourth inning of matchup vs. Brewers
Thomson took issue with a balk call on starter Jesús Luzardo with the Phillies facing a large deficit.
Phillies manager Rob Thomson was ejected in the fourth inning of Saturday’s 17-7 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers by second base umpire Dan Iassogna.
Thomson took issue with a balk call on starter Jesús Luzardo. The Phillies left-hander had already allowed a season-high five runs to the Brewers before the call. With Caleb Durbin at first base, Luzardo threw over to Alec Bohm as Durbin broke for second. Bohm’s throw to Bryson Stott beat Durbin to the bag, and he was initially called out by Iassogna.
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Third base umpire Derek Thomas then called a balk on Luzardo’s initial pick off, awarding Durbin second base.
“The third base umpire called it,” Thomson said. “His explanation to me was that at the top of his leg lift, he stopped. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that. So that’s why he called the balk. My question to him was, ‘Well, why didn’t the umpire at first base call it?’”
Luzardo said postgame he was also frustrated that the third base umpire had made the call.
“I’ve done this my whole career, since 2019 I’ve never been called the balk on it,” he said. “ … I thought I gained ground, even though I fell towards the plate, and always kept my body moving, even though it’s slow. But basically, I got a couple of different answers, and that’s what frustrated me the most, saying that I stopped at the top of my delivery, which I didn’t.”
It marked Thomson’s first ejection of the season and fifth since becoming Phillies manager in 2022. Luzardo went on to allow eight total runs in the fourth inning and was lifted for Joe Ross.