As some desperation begins to set in for the San Francisco Giants as it pertains to their hope of reaching the postseason, their ace Madison Bumgarner got caught up in a mano-a-mano showdown on Thursday night at Petco Park with home-plate umpire Joe West.
There was an initial disagreement in the first inning over balls and strikes, and the tension peaked in the sixth inning after Bumgarner walked Jedd Gyorko. The Giants’ ace angrily yelled after receiving the ball back from Buster Posey, and it led to West removing his mask and stepping out from behind home plate.
Bumgarner and West stared at one another for several seconds before play resumed. West’s umpiring duties had him at Coors Field on Friday for the series opener between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies.
With West umpiring at third base, Jimmy Rollins took it upon himself to recreate a similar confrontation with West. The veteran shortstop hit a one-out triple in the first inning, slid into third base, and remained down on one knee while asking for time and keeping his eyes locked on West.
The two eventually shared a laugh and Rollins finished the night 3-for-5, though the Dodgers came up short.
