CHICAGO -- White Sox manager Rick Renteria was ejected for the second time this season and the 21st time of his career during the third inning of Sunday’s 4-1 victory over the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field, where Reynaldo Lopez struck out a career-high 14 and four White Sox pitchers combined to tie a single-game nine-inning Major League record of 20 strikeouts.
Renteria argued the call of Jose Abreu being out for running inside the first-base line as he tried to reach when Detroit starter Matthew Boyd’s third strike got away from catcher Grayson Greiner. Greiner’s throw hit Abreu in the back.
Home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo ejected Renteria after Renteria went as far as walking down to first and re-enacting the path taken by Abreu. His movements did not change the call.
“He was right in tossing me,” Renteria said. “The ball actually started in foul territory, so from my perspective you still have to clear yourself a little bit. Pito [Abreu] was right in the line, and unless we start going to a base on the inside of the baseline ...
“Think about it. He's 4 feet wide and his left foot is hitting the baseline. He'd have to really get over and then reach over with his foot to touch the base. It's kind of a weird thing, but for me the story is Lopey and everything else these guys did today.”