The Los Angeles Angels defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, leading the AL East, in a game on Saturday. However, the match was notable for an incident before it even began, with three ejections occurring prior to the first pitch at Tropicana Field.
The unusual ejections involved Angels reliever Brent Suter and Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodríguez. The ejections were related to a “standoff” that occurred during the pregame national anthem ceremony.
As “The Star-Spangled Banner” finished, Suter stayed near the third-base dugout. Wilson and Rodríguez, with the Rays mascots, were positioned by the first-base dugout on the opposing side. This took place as Drew Rasmussen prepared to pitch, with Angels leadoff hitter Zach Neto ready in the batter’s box.
The umpire signaled the ejections of all three involved players. Despite this, the game commenced as planned. The Angels had a decisive 14-3 victory. The series with the Rays will conclude on Sunday, with each team having won one game so far.
Brent Suter was involved in the series opener on Friday between the Angels and Rays. It was uncertain if he would pitch on Saturday as well. Rodríguez and Wilson are yet to appear this season, with Rodríguez recovering from surgery on his elbow and Wilson dealing with lumbar disc issues.