MILWAUKEE (AP) — Warren Schaeffer certainly showed he's willing to defend his players after Colorado outfielder Tyler Freeman was ejected in the third inning.
Schaeffer came charging from the dugout and appeared to take something out of his mouth and throw it on the ground. Then he took his hat off and spiked that as well, at which point plate umpire Ramon De Jesus ejected him too.
“I like Ramon, but that was way too quick to get rid of Freeman. Way too quick," said Schaeffer, Colorado's interim manager. "One of our best players, in the third inning? That’s ridiculous.”
The Rockies kept battling, just like their manager, beating Milwaukee 4-3 in 11 innings Sunday for just their 19th win of the year. Colorado's Orlando Arcia hit a two-out solo homer in the top of the ninth to tie it at 2.
Six innings earlier, Freeman took a called third strike and appeared to say something to De Jesus as he was leaving the batter's box. De Jesus promptly threw Freeman out of the game.
Schaeffer came out to argue as well, and after he was tossed, he was far from finished. He got down on one knee in the batter's box and held his hand out over the plate, indicating that he felt the pitch was low.
“He has our backs, more than anything. It fired me up to see that, in a good way," Freeman said. "It got the boys going. We ended up winning that game. We don’t quit. Kind of the same on that end. He has our backs.”
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The Associated Press
