The Toronto Blue Jays lost their sixth straight game Tuesday night, falling 4-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a rough World Series rematch for the AL champions, coming just one night after a 14-2 blowout.
But the moment that overshadowed everything happened in the fifth inning, when manager John Schneider got himself thrown out.
Starter Kevin Gausman was facing Alex Freeland with Hyeseong Kim on first when home plate umpire Dan Merzel called a balk. However, Merzel didn’t call it right away. He made the ruling after the pitch had already been delivered.
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Then, Schneider stormed out of the dugout for an explanation, but it didn't go well as Merzel ejected the manager immediately. Schneider slammed his hat to the ground and got right in the umpire's face to argue.
The clip has since turned viral online, showing a red-faced Schneider shouting for over 30 seconds before finally walking off to a loud ovation from the crowd of 40,000.
The balk call, however, was a turning point. It moved Hyeseong Kim from first to second, and during that same at-bat, Freeland drove him home with a single to right field to put the Dodgers up 3-0.
Without the balk, Kim would have remained at first base. This would have kept a potential double-play in order and likely changed Gausman's approach to the inning.
Schneider wasn't shy about how he felt after the game. He told reporters, "It definitely was not a balk," and admitted that yelling "felt kind of nice" to him.
The irony? This was the 13th ejection of his career and his first of the 2026 season. Because he got so close to Merzel and argued for so long, the league office will likely review the footage to decide on a fine or suspension.
Gausman took the loss, dropping to 0-1 after giving up three runs and five hits in 5.1 innings. It was a tough night for the 35-year-old, who had a 0.75 ERA over his first two starts.
To make it worse, the team's injury list is growing. Cody Ponce will undergo surgery for a right ACL sprain. He is expected to be out for at least six months, effectively ending his 2026 season. And Max Scherzer was pulled from his start on Monday after just two innings due to right forearm tendinitis.
The last time Toronto experienced a longer streak was in June 2024, when they dropped seven consecutive games. They will try to avoid a sweep on Wednesday after losing the first two games when Dylan Cease faces Shohei Ohtani.
