ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The picture of politeness away from the mound, Rich Hill had steam coming out of his ears in the bottom of the first Friday.
Handed a four-run lead by his A’s teammates in the top half, Hill’s command deserted him to begin his night. It didn’t help he was getting squeezed by home plate umpire Brian Gorman.
Hill yelled at himself emphatically after getting a return throw from catcher Stephen Vogt. After another pitch missed, he snatched Vogt’s throw out of the air with his bare hand, still fuming.
“He’s a great teammate,” shortstop Marcus Semien said.