Twins' Shelton ejected for arguing ABS strike call

Minnesota Twins manager Derek Shelton made some bizarre MLB history late in his team's 8-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Twins designated hitter Josh Bell appeared to draw a walk off Orioles closer Ryan Helsley. But Helsley pointed to his hat and challenged the pitch, which was quickly overturned by ABS, changing Bell's walk to a strikeout.

That didn't sit well with Shelton, who came storming out of the dugout to argue that Helsley took too long to signal for a challenge. Shelton was quickly ejected, making him the first individual to be tossed for arguing an ABS call.

"I didn't think Helsley tapped his hat quick enough," Shelton said postgame, according to Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun. "Maybe he did, maybe he didn't. But I didn't feel he did. I feel it's gotta be something that's in the three-second (range), and I didn't think it was there. But the umpiring crew thought it was."

The ABS rules state that players who want to challenge ball-strike calls have to tap their head within about two seconds of the umpire's call. Some players have also started saying "challenge" to ensure that the umps recognize the request.

Helsley admitted postgame that he understood Shelton's frustration but still believes he signaled correctly.

"I understood where he was coming from because I felt like the (home plate) umpire didn't see me right away, and so I was kind of confused," Helsley said, per the Baltimore Sun's Matt Weyrich. "(Second base ump) Laz (Díaz) behind me kind of took up for him. He was like, 'He did it right away,' which I know we're probably going to go through some growing pains with this since (it's) so new, and I think we saw that today.

"And I can respect Shelton for trying to not get him to do it there because it did seem like it was a little long in that moment."

Helsley's successful challenge is the first ever by an Orioles pitcher.

For Shelton, whom the Twins hired in October to replace Rocco Baldelli, the ejection was the 17th of his seven-year managerial career.