An argument between an umpire and Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton was caught on a hot microphone.
During the Twins’ 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday, Shelton was ejected from the game after Reds star shortstop Elly de la Cruz checked his swing on a pitch, subsequently hitting a two-out single on the pitch after.
Shelton then clashed with umpire Nic Lentz over the ejection.
“I did not say anything to you,” Shelton said to Lentz. “I said, ‘Let’s f–king go.’ God damnit, c’mon. I didn’t say anything to you. I said nothing to you. I said nothing — I did not say that. I did not say that. No. No. No I didn’t. I did not say anything to you. All I said was, ‘Let’s f–king go.’ No, that’s bulls–t. You did not. God damnit. C’mon.”
Warning: Graphic language
Minnesota’s third straight loss bumped them down to 11-10 on the year, with the looming potential of a sweep on Sunday, while the Reds improved to 13-8.
“I don’t want to get too carried away, but I love our competitiveness and the will to keep playing,” said manager Terry Francona, whose team scored a run in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings to overcome a 4-2 deficit. “And guys pick each other up.”
Shelton, who is in his first year with the Twins, had managed the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020-25 and was fired 38 games into last season as the team posted a 12-26 record.
The Pirates had a 306-440 record in six seasons in Pittsburgh, including back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021 and ’22.
Under his guidance, Pittsburgh never finished above fourth in the NL Central.
