San Diego Padres manager Andy Green was quick to criticize the umpires after Arizona Diamondbacks closer Greg Holland threw behind Francisco Mejia twice in the ninth inning and wasn't issued a warning.
Green suggested Holland's actions were likely a response to Saturday's game, during which Diamondbacks third baseman Eduardo Escobar was hit by a pitch and outfielder David Peralta also took a ball well inside.
"Umpires being literally clueless on the field right now," Green said, according to MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. "That's inexcusable. ... The first one? OK, maybe it slips. The second one? We know what is going on there. It's not lost on us at all. If it is lost on them, they are not paying attention."
"Now, we threw balls all over the place yesterday. I understand their frustration. I get that. But you don't get to take target practice on our guys. That's what an umpire's supposed to be doing," Green added.
Holland, however, said he didn't intend to throw the ball behind Mejia and was having issues with his command.
"I hadn't thrown a lot recently," Holland said. "I struggled with my fastball command the other night. ... I understand (how it looks), but I just think when you've lost four straight games and you've got a chance to win, you're not trying to hit anybody in the ninth inning.
"We're just trying to win a game and turn the page."