Angels, Rays eject three pitchers before first pitch over anthem standoff

The Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 14-3 on Saturday at Tropicana Field. The game was overshadowed by three ejections that occurred before the first pitch.

Third-base umpire ejected Angels reliever Brent Suter and Rays pitchers Steven Wilson and Manuel Rodríguez after what appeared to be a standoff over the pregame national anthem. Suter remained near the third-base dugout after the anthem ended. Wilson and Rodríguez stood near the first-base dugout with Rays mascots.

At the time, Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen was set to take the mound and Angels leadoff hitter Zach Neto was in the batter’s box. The umpire signaled the ejections, and the game started on schedule.

Suter had pitched in Friday’s series opener. It was unclear whether he would be available on consecutive days. Rodríguez is recovering from elbow surgery, and Wilson has been out with lumbar disc inflammation. Neither has appeared in a game this season.

The Angels and Rays are scheduled to play the series finale on Sunday afternoon. The three-game set is tied 1-1.