Umpires Double Down On Ejecting Max Scherzer Over Sticky Substance

Did he or didn't he?

On Wednesday, New York Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was ejected after being confronted by home plate umpire Dan Bellino for a second time during the game over use of a sticky substance on his hands and fingers. Scherzer was initially told to get rid of it after a second inning routine hand inspection and clearly didn't do so to the umpire's liking.

“As far as stickiness, level of stickiness, this was the stickiest that it has been since I’ve been inspecting hands, which now goes back three seasons," Bellino told a pool reporter after the game.

“Compared to the first inning, the level of stickiness, it was so sticky that when we touched his hand, our fingers were sticking to his hand.”

That's a pretty solid double-down by Bellino, who is claiming that Scherzer had near Krispy Kreme-like stickiness after being checked multiple times. And as Bellino said, if anyone knows sticky fingers - it's him, he's been touching pitchers' hands for three years.

SCHERZER HAD THROWN THREE SCORELESS INNINGS

When speaking with reporters after the game, Scherzer said that he told the umpires that the substance was rosin.

"I knew I was going to get checked again in the 4th inning, I would have to be an absolute idiot to do anything when I'm coming back out for the 4th," Scherzer said.

"I swear on my kids’ lives, I’m not using anything else... This is sweat and rosin. Sweat and rosin," the 3x Cy-Young Award Winner pleaded.

Up to that point he had pitched three scoreless innings of the Mets' eventual 5-3 victory over the Dodgers.

Scherzer now faces a 10-game suspension for violating the league's rules on pitchers using foreign substances while on the mound.

He can appeal, but it could be a sticky and tricky situation as it appears the umpires are pretty adamant that he cheated.