Dodgers News: Astros Pitcher Ryne Stanek Plays Victim After Balk, Loss in LA

The Dodgers beat the Astros fair and square and on a level playing field on Saturday at Dodger Stadium after the go ahead run scored on a balk in the eighth inning in the middle game of a three game series. That balk was committed by Houston reliever Ryne Stanek, who put on quite a performance in LA after finally working through his outing.

By now, you've seen the tirade by Stanek... but we're going to watch it again here.

Ryan Stanek is HEATED and letting the second base umpire hear it after being called for a balk earlier in the inning 😳 pic.twitter.com/FB5MmJpq4r
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 25, 2023

He struck out Dodgers third baseman Michael Busch and all in one motion turned his body toward second base to continue to voice his displeasure with second base umpire Junior Valentine who called the balk on him a batter earlier. Stanek was quickly ejected and continued his epic meltdown as he walked off the field, even making sure to give onlooking Dodgers fans a piece of his mind as he made his way into the visiting dugout.

After the game, the 31-year-old argued that he didn't commit a balk and really tried to sell it in his interpretation.

"He said I moved my leg, which was pretty obvious because I stepped off the mound. Beyond that, I wholeheartedly disagree. A balk is intentionally trying to deceive a runner. At what point was I trying to deceive a runner? I hadn't even come set yet. I literally was just stepping backwards. The move is beyond minor. I think that's a pretty drastic call to make considering that play right there the umpire decided the game."

Via The Associated Press.

For the “It wasn’t a balk” crowd pic.twitter.com/eU1kmOiqXO
— 𝕽⃨⃩𝕭⃨⃩ (@rbhockey6) June 25, 2023

Sure looked like a balk.

“It was a balk,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “[Valentine] got it right. Obviously in a game like that, you don’t want it to be the deciding run in that situation. But they got the call right. And I think Stanek was looking at the pitch clock maybe, maybe trying to step off, call timeout, and then his cleat got stuck, but it was a balk by the letter of the law. So we’ll take it. It was his right knee that moved. "