Rays' Taylor Walls fumes at umpire after being ejected in heated scene
Rays shortstop Taylor Walls was ejected during the ninth inning of Sunday's 1-0 loss to the Astros for apparently tapping his helmet. The act was a nod to baseball's incoming Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, which is expected to be implemented in 2027.
Walls saw just one pitch from Astros closer Josh Hader, a slider down and away, which was clearly out of the strike zone, yet was called a strike by home plate umpire Nic Lentz.
Advertisement
The light-hitting shortstop then said something inaudible to the umpire and stepped out of the batter's box, tapping his helmet potentially in a mocking request to challenge the call.
5 Taylor Walls taps his helmet during the ninth inning of Sunday's game.
X, @MLBONFOX
However, that is not yet allowed in the league, and he was swiftly ejected.
Advertisement
Walls, who is hitting just .188 this year after hitting .183 in 2024, went berserk after the ejection.
Walls' aggressive reaction shocked broadcasters, as well as coaches, who were unable to corral him in an attempt to deescalate the situation and saw him run back at the umpire.
Lentz gave a clear explanation of the ejection, adding that it was because of the way he tapped his helmet, which ignited the fury-filled aftermath.
Advertisement
5 Umpire Nic Lentz ejects Taylor Walls
X, @MLBONFOX
5 Taylor Walls goes wild at Nic Lentz during ejection.
X, @MLBONFOX
After the game, Walls denied mocking the umpire with a mock-challenge request and that he didn't even remember the heated back and forth.
'I just remember going to get into the box, kind of adjusting my helmet, and then hearing him mouthing something,' Walls told FanDuel's Ryan Bass.
Advertisement
'I think I said, huh, like, 'What'd you say? I can't hear you.' At that point, I have no recollection of it, but after seeing the video, it looks like I tapped my helmet, but it was totally unintentional, something I was not consciously aware of at all,' Walls went on. 'I'm looking right at him when I'm doing it with no sincere, at that point, maybe I was frustrated with the strike call, but there was no sincerity of trying to show the guy up.
5 Taylor Walls is held back by coaches during an ejection.
X, @MLBONFOX
'I don't know how he didn't see that in the moment, but I'm looking right at him. We're so confused, trying to understand what he said and I think it was just a mannerism that happened because I was stepping into the box, kind of re-adjusting my helmet at the time, and that just happened. He comes out, and he's like, 'We're not doing that. You're out of here,' and tosses me.
'So, at this point, I have no idea that I just, what looked like to him, tapped my helmet, so I'm ticked off. I'm like, what are you talking about? I didn't say anything to you. I'm asking you what you said, and [I] had no recollection that I even made a gesture that looked like that. Never in my life have I shown an umpire [up] like [that], been that disrespectful to do something like that. We didn't even have the ABS in spring training, so just to be so on edge thinking that somebody's just trying to be so disrespectful and show you up at that point, I think it was premature.'
5 Taylor Walls goes back for more at umpire Nic Lentz.
X, @MLBONFOX
The Rays are now in third place in the AL East with a 30-29 record after losing two of three to the Astros.
They open up a three-game set with the Rangers on Monday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Athletics at Rays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 1
It's Tuesday, July 1 and the Athletics (35-52) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (47-38). Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for the Athletics against Shane Baz for Tampa Bay. The Athletics won game one of the series after Lawrence Butler tripled on a sharp line drive. Both Max Muncy and Max Schuemann scored giving the Athletics a 6-4 lead. Advertisement Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Athletics at Rays Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025 Time: 7:05PM EST Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field City: Tampa, FL Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, NBCSCA, KVVU Fox 5 Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Athletics at the Rays The latest odds as of Tuesday: Advertisement Moneyline: Athletics (+140), Rays (-166) Spread: Rays -1.5 Total: 8.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Rays Pitching matchup for July 1, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Shane Baz Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (6-6, 4.30 ERA) Last outing (Detroit Tigers, 6/26): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts Rays: Shane Baz, (8-3, 4.37 ERA) Last outing (Kansas City Royals, 6/26): 8.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Rays With Shane Baz starting the Rays have won 8 of their last 9 games In his last 5 home starts on the mound the Rays pitcher Shane Baz has an ERA of 8.39 With Shane Baz starting the Rays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games to return 1.81 units If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Athletics and the Rays Rotoworld Best Bet Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Advertisement Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Athletics and the Rays: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Athletics at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Advertisement Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
NBC Sports
5 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Athletics at Rays Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for July 1
It's Tuesday, July 1 and the Athletics (35-52) are in Tampa to take on the Rays (47-38). Jeffrey Springs is slated to take the mound for the Athletics against Shane Baz for Tampa Bay. The Athletics won game one of the series after Lawrence Butler tripled on a sharp line drive. Both Max Muncy and Max Schuemann scored giving the Athletics a 6-4 lead. Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We've got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts. Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long. Game details & how to watch Athletics at Rays Date: Tuesday, July 1, 2025 Time: 7:05PM EST Site: George M. Steinbrenner Field City: Tampa, FL Network/Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network Sun, NBCSCA, KVVU Fox 5 Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out. Odds for the Athletics at the Rays The latest odds as of Tuesday: Moneyline: Athletics (+140), Rays (-166) Spread: Rays -1.5 Total: 8.0 runs Probable starting pitchers for Athletics at Rays Pitching matchup for July 1, 2025: Jeffrey Springs vs. Shane Baz Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (6-6, 4.30 ERA) Last outing (Detroit Tigers, 6/26): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 StrikeoutsRays: Shane Baz, (8-3, 4.37 ERA) Last outing (Kansas City Royals, 6/26): 8.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts Athletics: Jeffrey Springs, (6-6, 4.30 ERA) Last outing (Detroit Tigers, 6/26): 5.0 Innings Pitched, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts Rays: Shane Baz, (8-3, 4.37 ERA) Last outing (Kansas City Royals, 6/26): 8.0 Innings Pitched, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 9 Strikeouts Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries, and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions, and news type! Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Athletics at Rays With Shane Baz starting the Rays have won 8 of their last 9 games In his last 5 home starts on the mound the Rays pitcher Shane Baz has an ERA of 8.39 With Shane Baz starting the Rays have covered in 4 of their last 5 games to return 1.81 units If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Expert picks & predictions for tonight's game between the Athletics and the Rays Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread, and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information, and weather forecasts. Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager. Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Tuesday's game between the Athletics and the Rays: Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Tampa Bay Rays on the Moneyline. Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Athletics at +1.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 8.0. Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Forbes
Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez Offer High-Floor Astros Some Ceiling
Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown (58) pitches to Philadelphia Phillies' Trea Turner ... More during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, June 26, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Karen Warren) The end of the Houston Astros dynasty was seemingly at hand. After seven straight appearances in the American League Championship Series from 2017-23, featuring four World Series appearances and a pair of championships, the Astros were swept out of the 2024 playoffs in two games in the wild card round. This was followed by an offseason that featured the departure of stars Kyle Tucker and Alex Bregman. About the only hope remaining was the club's 'high floor'. I have often written about this aspect of the club. It derives from some of their key characteristics - an overarching ability to put the ball in play on offense, a pitching staff that induces a bunch of grounders, and quality team defense, particularly in the infield. Over time, many of the drivers of their upside, from George Springer to Carlos Correa to Gerrit Cole to Justin Verlander to Tucker and Bregman, departed. Then, early in 2025, remaining offensive superstar Yordan Alvarez was sidelined by a hand injury that has yet to relent. Game over, right? Not so fast. All of their 'high floor' traits remain intact, but the boost toward the ceiling has come from other sources. On the offensive side, SS Jeremy Pena (now injured) and 3B Isaac Paredes have been mainstays. But the really big news has taken place on the pitching side, where righty Hunter Brown and lefty Framber Valdez give the Astros the premier matching set of aces in the American League. Brown has been a breakout pick of mine for a while now. The 'now' performance stepped up to a new level in 2024, but there were still hints of additional upside that have kicked in this season. Starting pitchers have three main jobs - miss bats, minimize walks, and manage contact. Durability and innings bulk represent the cherry on top. In 2024, he was an above average bat-misser, but not by much. His walk rate was in the league average range, and his 170 innings pitched while a career high, represented the first time he qualified for an ERA title. The most intriguing thing about his season was his contact management performance - Brown posted an 88 Adjusted Contact Score, finishing 2nd to Corbin Burnes in the AL Contact Manager of the Year race. So plenty of now stuff to get excited about, but what if he could enhance his K and BB rates, along with his durability? The upside was beyond intriguing. And here we are. His K rate has spiked to 32.1%, his BB rate has dropped to 7.6%. Both are career bests. He could make a run at 200 innings pitched. And his average velocity is up across his entire repertoire. His Adjusted Contact Score is still solid at 92, as he continues to throttle authority across all batted ball types and possess the rare, desirable high grounder-low fly ball-average pop up rate combination. Brown is now an inner-circle Cy Young contender at age 26. He hasn't been as good as his current numbers suggest - his 'Tru' ERA- of 69 (my batted ball-based proxy for ERA) is a bit worse than his 44 ERA- and 65 FIP-. But he's legit. His 85.4 mph overall average exit speed allowed is even better than his 2024 86.0 mph mark, which was best in the AL. His present is extremely bright, and there's no reason to expect near term slippage. Then there's Valdez. He's 31, and has been a mainstay of the Astro rotation since 2020. Unlike Brown, with his exceptional now stuff and potential for more, Valdez is what he is what he is, and has been for an extended period. Bottom line - running a 60%ish grounder rate covers a lot of weaknesses. The squatty southpaw doesn't post outstanding K or BB rates, and isn't a consistently elite contact manager despite all those ground balls. He tends to allow harder than average authority across all batted ball types - but when you're running a 60% grounder rate, an average 100 Adjusted Contact Score - he's at 101 right now, and has a career best of 87 - is pretty much your floor. (Yup, there goes that high floor again.) But while Valdez may not over-the-top excel qualitatively, he sure does quantitatively. He's led the AL in innings pitched once (in 2022 with 201 1/3) and is squarely in the race in that department this season. He's AVERAGING exactly seven innings per start, putting him on a pace for 231 frames. That's a whole bunch of innings that fungible middle relievers don't have to pitch. Valdez has been quite fortunate on balls in play this season - his 93 'Tru'- is way above his 68 ERA- and 73 FIP-, with actual, Unadjusted Contact Scores below his adjusted marks for fly balls (118 vs. 124), liners (65 vs. 95) and grounders (92 vs. 122). He hasn't suddenly jumped up in class from prior seasons - his batted ball distribution and authority profiles are in line with career norms, and his pitch usage and velocity profiles are as well. But each and every time he takes the mound, he gets around the order three times and keeps the ball on the ground. You're going to have to beat Valdez with a bunch of singles, as you're not likely to get the big blow. It's tough to lose a bunch of games in a row when you've got a pair of cats like this at the top of your rotation. The Phillies rolled into town last week and scored all of one run in the entire series, an Astro sweep. Those Phillies might be the only club in the game with a comparable #1-2 (maybe 3, in their case) punch. With a comfortable lead in the AL West, the Astros are becoming a pretty safe bet to again reach the playoffs, and the Brown-Valdez combo makes them a very tough out once they get there.
