Chris Sale did not hold back on his criticism of home plate umpire Mike Eastbrook Saturday following his ejection from the Red Sox' 9-2 loss to the Yankees.
Sale and manager Alex Cora were both thrown out of the game for arguing Eastbrook's strike zone, and both had plenty to say afterward.
“It’s hard enough playing this game as it is,” Sale told MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “You give these guys extra outs and it’s going to hurt. I felt like he changed the landscape of the game. There’s got to be something that can be done about this.”
Sale had a rough start Saturday, to say the least. He only made it through 3.2 innings and gave up eight earned runs on nine hits. Seven of those runs came in a nightmare fourth inning.
The loss was the Sox' sixth straight in a brutal skid since a quiet trade deadline for the World Series champs. Frustration is running high, and it could have played a part in Boston's ace and its manager's ejection Saturday.
“There’s got to be something,” Sale said. “If (Cora) doesn’t do his job for long enough, he’s gone. If I don’t do my job for long enough, I’m gone. That goes for every other manager in the league and every other player in this clubhouse and the league. We’ve got to find something.”
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Couple this with the players-only meeting the Sox held after the first game of a doubleheader with the Yankees, and Game 2 should be plenty interesting on many fronts.
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