Royals’ Matt Quatraro, Alec Zumwalt ejected after iffy strike 3. Was it the right call?

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro didn’t mince words after being ejected from Saturday’s 9-6 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Quatraro was upset that Royals outfielder Dairon Blanco was called out on strikes in the ninth inning. So, he went to home plate umpire Ben May to voice his displeasure.

Both men had a heated discussion. After a short period, May had enough and sent Quatraro to the clubhouse early. It was Quatraro’s second ejection in his MLB career.

Quatraro earned his first ejection against the Minnesota Twins in April. It appeared on the broadcast view that Blanco was also ejected, but the Royals later clarified it was actually hitting coach Alec Zumwalt who was tossed from the game.

“I wasn’t asking for an explanation,” Quatraro said following the game. “We just disagreed with the calls.”

Blanco faced Phillies closer Craig Kimbrel in the ninth inning. He battled throughout the six-pitch at-bat that included five fastballs and a knuckle-curve. However, it was a 94.9 mph fastball that caused an uproar in the Royals dugout.

May called the pitch a strike at the bottom of the zone. Blanco thought the pitch was low and should’ve been deemed a ball. He became very animated after the call.

“I was extremely mad,” Blanco said through a translator. “It was a ball. There was no way the pitch was in the zone. It got me really upset.”

Blanco went 1 for 4 with an RBI in the game.

Had the pitch been called a ball, the Royals would’ve brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, with runners on first and second with one out.

Instead, they kept a runner on first with two away.

After losing their seven-game win streak in Saturday’s game — a stretch that even featured some history going back more than 100 years — the Royals will look to win the series on Sunday afternoon.