Joel Peralta ejected for pine tar, umpires confiscate glove

Here’s something that doesn’t happen often.

Rays setup man Joel Peralta was ejected in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s game in the nation’s capital after Nationals manager Davey Johnson asked the umpires to take a look at his glove.

The umps found a foreign substance (likely pine tar) and gave Peralta the boot while confiscating his mitt.

Peralta played for the Nationals in 2010, so the assumption is that a former teammate alerted Johnson to the right-hander’s against-policy tricks.

The Rays countered in the ninth inning, asking to see the hat of Nats reliever Ryan Mattheus. It was clean.
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UPDATE, 10:29 PM: Some postgame reaction to the incident ...

Davey on why he checked Peralta’s glove, “A rumor he liked a little pine tar”.#Nats

— HoldenKushner (@Holdenradio) June 20, 2012

Umps said there was “significant amount” of pine tar in #Rays Peralta’s glove

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 20, 2012

Pena on Peralta ejection: “Somebody betrayed him. Someone that was his teammate...I’m saddened by that...” #Rays

— Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) June 20, 2012

#Rays Maddon said it was a “cowardly” move - among other things - by Nats manager Johnson to have Peralta singled out like that

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) June 20, 2012