Lookouts batter Miguel Rojas exchanges words with Montgomery catcher Mayo Acosta while being watched by home plate umpire Garrett Patterson, who issued warnings to both benches after batters on both teams were hit by pitches in the third inning of their game Wednesday at AT&T Field. The Lookouts lost 4-3 to the Montgomery Biscuits.One confrontation was averted Wednesday afternoon at AT&T Field. Another one wasn't.
Montgomery's 4-3 victory over Chattanooga was overshadowed by Lookouts manager Jody Reed getting ejected by third-base umpire Alex Ransom with two out in the ninth inning. Ransom became the first to toss Reed in the manager's 78 games this season.
"In this short, three-game span, he's missed numerous calls," Reed said afterward. "It was just time. I had had enough."
The Lookouts were trailing 4-2 when Brian Cavazos-Galvez hit a one-out, bases-loaded grounder to Biscuits third baseman Riccio Torrez, who threw to second baseman Robby Price for the fielder's choice. Reed argued that Price's foot came off the bag and that Joc Pederson was safe.
Ransom's ruling resulted in the second out, and J.T. Wise grounded into a force out to end the game.
"I thought he was off the bag," Pederson said. "That's what I saw."
Chattanooga dropped to 3-5 in the Southern League's second half following its third straight setback and is 38-40 overall.
The third inning contained at least as many fireworks, opening with Lookouts starting pitcher Andres Santiago hitting Hector Guevara in the knee. In the bottom of the third, Montgomery starter Enny Romero responded by throwing behind Miguel Rojas, which prompted home-plate umpire Garrett Patterson to warn both benches.
Rojas flied to right-center for the second out, but then Romero threw inside and got the jersey of Matt Wallach. Reed talked to Patterson as Wallach jogged to first, but Patterson ruled the pitch unintentional.
"Once the warning happens and you get another one up and in, you never know what is going to happen," Wallach said. "It's all in the reaction. If the pitcher turns his head and looks like he didn't mean it, then it's OK to let one go, but if he's staring you down as you go down the line, at some point you have to go out there and defend yourself.
"You hope it doesn't get to that point, and I'm glad it didn't today. I'm glad we got back to baseball after the warning."
Reed had more of a back-and-white view of that scenario.
"If you issue a warning and somebody hits the next batter, he's got to go," he said. "I don't know what this crew is thinking about or how they're managing a game, but there is a lot to be learned."
The biggest play that didn't involve any controversy occurred with one out in the seventh inning, when Torrez greeted Lookouts relief pitcher Hector Nelo with a three-run home run to left that made it 3-1.
Duke von Schamann (0-0, 2.81) is scheduled to start tonight's 7:15 game for the Lookouts, with Victor Mateo (2-7, 6.13) scheduled for the Biscuits.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.