That was a close call.
David Ortiz smashed a phone in the Red Sox dugout at Camden Yards on Saturday, but avoided a suspension, according to the Boston Globe, after Major League Baseball reviewed the incident.
After taking a 3-0 pitch he thought was a ball in the seventh inning of the Red Sox’ eventual 7-3 win over the Orioles, Ortiz flipped his bat, and eventually struck out swinging, but not before he let home plate umpire Tim Timmons know how he felt with the call. Timmons ejected Ortiz, who went to the dugout and destroyed one of the clubhouse phones with his bat.
Ortiz, after hitting a home run Sunday in the Red Sox’ 5-0 win went over to the same phone with his bat and pretended to smash it. His teammates also had fun at his expense, as pitcher Ryan Dempster and outfielder Jonny Gomes used cups to make a new, patchwork phone in the dugout.
The Red Sox designated hitter, Ortiz is batting .329 with 20 home runs and 67 RBIs and is a big reason Boston is in first place in the AL East.