Blue Jays manager John Schneider's dramatic week went from "fat boy" to "f-k-up."
After a wild series against the Yankees, in which Toronto complained about the positioning of the Yankees' base coaches, Blue Jays broadcasters speculated about Aaron Judge's glancing eyes and Schneider yelled "shut up, fat boy" to someone in the Yankees dugout - Yankees assistant hitting coach Brad Wilkerson thought he was the recipient - Schneider committed a huge blunder in the sixth inning of a loss to the Orioles on Saturday.
With the game tied 2-2 and Alek Manoah at 85 pitches with two outs in the top of the sixth, Schneider went out to the mound to discuss strategy.
However, pitching coach Pete Walker - who was barking at Yankees third base coach Luis Rojas on Tuesday before Schneider's "fat boy" remark - had already visited the mound earlier in the inning, and by rule, two mound visits in one inning requires a pitching change.
So after the mound discussion was over, home plate umpire Dan Iassogna informed Schneider that Manoah, who appeared to be in disbelief, had to come out of the game.
Alek Manoah has to come out of the game after the second mound visit of the inning.
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The Blue Jays ended up scoring once in the sixth and twice in the seventh to take a 5-2 lead, but Baltimore tied the game in the eighth and defeated Toronto in 10 innings, 6-5.
"I f-ked up," Schneider admitted after the game, via MLB.com. "But I think, regardless of my f-k-up, it was the right time to get him out."
Manoah, the 25-year-old All-Star who has a 5.15 ERA and nine home runs allowed in 10 starts this season, said there was some silence on the mound because he was aware Walker had already visited the mound.
"When [Schneider] started asking me if I wanted to stay in the game, I was like, 'Well, maybe Pete didn't come out here?' I wasn't sure," Manoah told reporters. "I told him I wanted to stay in and pleaded my case, but as he walked away, the umpire was like, 'Hey, that was your second visit.' "
Toronto ended up losing 8-3 to the Orioles on Sunday in 11 innings, getting swept at home after dropping three of four to the Yankees.
The Blue Jays (25-22) are now in last place in the daunting AL East and head to St. Petersburg to begin a four-game series against the MLB-best Rays (34-14) on Monday.
The Yankees (29-20) return home from a 6-1 road trip to begin a three-game set with the Orioles (31-16) on Tuesday.