CHICAGO -- Blue Jays hitting coach Guillermo Martinez was ejected before Wednesday’s 9-5 win over the White Sox even began after the lineup card exchange quickly turned into a heated argument at Guaranteed Rate Field.

This was a continuation of Tuesday’s long, hot 7-6 loss in 12 innings, a frustrating slog that saw pitching coach Pete Walker ejected in extras. The Blue Jays argued with home-plate umpire Doug Eddings throughout the game, so there’s no surprise that it was Eddings whom Martinez got into a tense exchange with Wednesday.

Manager Charlie Montoyo said that the club wasn’t looking to send a planned message and stopped short of sharing what was said by Martinez, but he was pleased with the club’s overall effort after a loss that could have sidetracked it for another day in Chicago. 

“That’s part of the game,” Montoyo said. “When you’re the one that loses the game, it’s more frustrating, but then you’ve got to let it go. We do a good job of that.”

Both sides had issues Tuesday, with the White Sox also making their voices heard from the opposing dugout, but the Blue Jays were heated throughout. Santiago Espinal had a particularly rough time with several strikes called on balls that appeared well out of the zone. Even the mild-mannered Espinal let his frustrations show to Eddings after one strikeout.

“It was unexpected,” Bo Bichette said of the ejection before getting to the important part. “I know some guys were a little bit fired up.”

The Blue Jays haven’t shied away from these interactions in 2022. Charlie Montoyo, who had to come out to finish the lineup card exchange, leads the American League with four ejections already. Along the way, he has developed a new trademark of covering his mouth while he shares his opinions, shielding it from lip readers.

Walker and bench coach John Schneider aren’t ones to shy away from this, either, but Wednesday was Martinez’s turn to get an early start on a night off in Chicago before the Blue Jays make the bus trip to Milwaukee to open a new series Friday.