DETROIT — Nico Hoerner turned to face plate umpire Derek Thomas after the called third strike — which was low and inside.
“I don’t think it’s really that often you can verbatim say to the press afterwards what got you thrown out,” Hoerner said Sunday after the Cubs’ 4-0 loss to the Tigers.
This was one of those times.
“I said, ‘You’re having a really bad day,’ ” Hoerner recalled.
It was an inflection point in the game. The Cubs were trailing 2-0 in the fifth inning. With Dansby Swanson on second base and no outs, Hoerner represented the tying run.
He had fouled off the previous pitch from Tigers starter Jack Flaherty to even the count at 2-2. Then, instead of forcing Flaherty into a full count, Hoerner’s at-bat was done.
A few words later, he was out of the game.
Here is the audio from Nico Hoerner’s ejection during today’s game. https://t.co/XnAiRBhxBm pic.twitter.com/ic3l4tB8hk
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) June 8, 2025
The decision didn’t necessarily affect the outcome of the game. It certainly reflected the intensity of a weekend series between teams that entered with the best records in their respective league.
The Cubs dropped two of three games in front of sellout crowds. And their victory Saturday included some back-and-forth between their dugout and the umpires after three early questionable strikeout calls by plate umpire Doug Eddings.
There were no ejections, however — unlike Sunday.
“Ejected me and said that was unacceptable,” Hoerner said. “Not a situation I want to get ejected in. … Big moment in that game, which was partially why it got a reaction out of me. So obviously don’t want to miss the rest of that game and had no intention of that. But unfortunately, that was the case.”
Manager Craig Counsell ran out of the dugout and stood between Hoerner and Thomas, making his own gripes known to the umpire. When Thomas finally tossed Counsell, as well, Tigers fans cheered.
“The ejection of Nico was completely unwarranted,” Counsell said. “There’s nothing that was said that warrants an ejection, and you can’t eject players and affect outcomes of games for no offense.”
The rule book leaves some wiggle room for umpire discretion, but umpires often let slide generalized comments that don’t include profanity.
Rule 8.01(d) reads: “Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field.”
Hoerner said Thomas didn’t explain why he thought Hoerner’s comment rose to the level of an ejection. It was the second ejection of Hoerner’s career. The first was June 6, 2024, against the White Sox.
Said Counsell: “Not ejectable. No swearing, no cussing, walking away, not standing and arguing, nothing. If he stands and argues, gives him a warning, fine. Nothing.”
The inning before, the Cubs had put four runners on base with three walks and a single but failed to score, thanks to a pinpoint throw from Tigers right fielder Kerry Carpenter that cut down Ian Happ at home.
After Swanson’s leadoff double, the Cubs’ only extra-base hit of the game, Flaherty retired the next three batters. He went on to limit the Cubs to two hits in six innings, paving the way for a combined shutout. It was just the fourth time the Cubs were shut out this season, but the second time on this road trip.
“Today you could just tell that the flow of the game, the way he was handling himself, he was executing and locating,” said Cubs catcher Carson Kelly, who played with Flaherty early in their careers with the Cardinals and again last season with the Tigers. “When he’s doing that, he’s a very tough at-bat.”