Gabe Kapler gets first ejection as SF Giants manager in eight straight loss to Dodgers

This season has been a frustrating one for Giants fans. And Gabe Kapler has shown he shares that sentiment.

Trying to avoid a fourth straight loss, the Giants continued their series against the Dodgers on Thursday afternoon. But as tempers flared in the middle of the game, Kapler got ejected for the first time since taking the reins in San Francisco three years ago.

Giants pitcher Jarlin Garcia struck out James Outman to end the top of the sixth and pointed to the Dodgers side, mocking the division rival’s head pat celebration on his way to the dugout. Mookie Betts, who was on deck, did not take kindly to the gesture and had a few words to share. First base umpire Phil Cuzzi confronted Kapler about it, calling Garcia’s behavior unacceptable, prompting the Giants manager to explode.

“I took exception to sort of being scolded in front of our dugout about how to approach and address our players,” Kapler said. “Which, obviously, I have done, our veteran players have done, and I would do no matter what. So we didn’t really need any prompting there.”

The umpire could tolerate only a few more moments of Kapler defending his pitcher before deciding to toss him, which put Giants fans on their feet. That didn’t stop Kapler, who kept shouting and even stiff-armed bench/infield coach Kai Correa back to the dugout as he tried to calm down the manager. Correa, who’s younger than some of the Giants’ roster at 34 years old, served as acting manager for the rest of the game.

If Kapler was upset with the way the season has been trending, Thursday’s game certainly didn’t help. The Dodgers would go on to win 5-2, completing the four-game sweep, their first in San Francisco in 45 years. It was the second straight fourgame sweep at the hands of the Dodgers.

“We’re all frustrated,” Kapler said of the series. “We don’t want to play like this.”