PHILADELPHIA — Tampa Bay Rays reliever Edwin Uceta was ejected from the team’s 9-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night after hitting Nick Castellanos with a pitch.
Castellanos, for his part, said he knew it was coming.
Uceta gave up a tiebreaking two-run double in the eighth inning to pinch-hitter Cal Stevenson , then proceeded to give up a Buddy Kennedy RBI single, a two-run Trea Turner homer and a Bryce Harper double before Castellanos stepped to the plate.
Uceta’s pitch hit the Phillies slugger on the hip and caused both benches and bullpens to empty and the players to gather on the infield grass.
“I had an overwhelming sense that I was about to get drilled,” Castellanos said. “We all just got a sense of what it was — he was just [ticked] off that he got hit around and his ERA shot through the roof.”
Uceta, who entered the game with a 0.79 ERA, said it was not a purpose pitch and claimed it was a changeup; MLB’s StatCast said it was a 96 mph sinker.