August 24, 200620 yr Three ejected in Dodgers' loss Penny thrown out of game after four-plus wild innings SAN DIEGO -- The Dodgers' lead in the National League West shrunk to one game Wednesday night when the Padres completed a series sweep with a bizarre 7-2 victory that saw the ejections of Dodgers manager Grady Little, starting pitcher Brad Penny and outfielder Julio Lugo. Little was ejected by home-plate umpire and crew chief Rick Reed for arguing after being told the results of an umpire huddle triggered by a complaint from Padres manager Bruce Bochy. Little made a second mound trip when he returned to Penny after interrupting a first visit to speak with Reed, who had drawn the ire of Penny throughout the game for his strike zone. After Little's first ejection of the year, Reed informed Penny he was removed from the game for the manager's second mound trip, and the righty was ejected for arguing, although technically he was already out of the game. Penny had to be restrained by two Dodgers coaches while second-base umpire Ted Barrett jawed with the pitcher as he made his way to the dugout. Penny was about to leave the game anyway after throwing 101 pitches in four-plus wild innings. He walked the bases loaded in the first inning and paid the price with a two-run single by Geoff Blum -- who had four hits -- and an RBI infield hit by Mark Bellhorn. Wilson Betemit got one run back with a home run to center leading off the third inning against Woody Williams. But the Padres answered in the bottom of the third on Josh Bard's two-out double and Blum's RBI single. Andre Ethier tripled home the Dodgers' second run with two outs in the fourth inning, cashing in a leadoff single by Kenny Lofton. Elmer Dessens allowed two of the runners he inherited from Penny to score in the fifth, and Mike Cameron homered off Giovanni Carrara in the eighth. Lugo was ejected in the fourth inning by first-base umpire Chris Guccione for slamming his helmet after being thrown out on a grounder to third. source Brilliant!
August 24, 200620 yr Author arguing a call makes a manager brilliant? :mischief2 Having the knowledge to know that two mound visits is illegal and to spot it and point it out to the umpire shows that he has a great baseball mind.
August 24, 200620 yr Same thing happened to El Duque in Toronto. If you're a manager it's probably a lot more obvious.
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