Why was Matt Thaiss ejected vs Yankees? Angels catcher tossed in the 9th innings

Matt Thaiss found himself on the receiving end of an umpire ejection as the Los Angeles Angels catcher was tossed from the series opener against the New York Yankees at home.

The incident in question occurred in the ninth innings with the catcher batting at the plate. After a third strike call, Matt Thaiss showed his frustration at the home plate umpire John Tumpane who then proceeded to eject him from the game.

Thaiss came for his at-bat with two runs on the board. The game-winning run was in scoring position in second base with the game tied at 3-3. Nick Ramirez pitching for the Yanks had walked Taylor Ward before Mike Moustakas' infield single.

On a 2-2 count he pitched a 78 mph changeup that seemed to partially miss the bottom corner of the strike zone.

However, a third strike was called on the Angels backstop who showed his anger by throwing his helmet and yelling at Tumpane. The official then removed him from the game as he was replaced by reserve catcher Chad Wallach for the extra innings.

Thankfully for Thaiss, the Angels won the game after pinch hitter Michael Stefanic hit the winning run in the 10th with Wallach scoring from the automatic base runner position.

Matt Thaiss' instance is another addition to the long list of player-umpire spats

Matt Thaiss' incident with Tumpane is another incident of players and managers being unhappy with calls made by umpires. This call could have been a game-altering one had the Halos lost in the 10th innings.

Already, talks of replacing MLB umpires with automated strike-calling systems are making the rounds. The MLB has already tested robot umpires, and with increasing mistakes from senior officials, the top brass might contemplate bringing in automated systems permanently.

The Angels and the Yankees will play out a three-game series that is crucial for both teams as they look to make it to the postseason.