A controversial call was the turning point in the Giants’ 5-4 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday at Kauffman Stadium — and manager Tony Vitello ensured the umpires knew it.“To be honest with you, I just asked — you know, again, I don’t know the protocol with the scoreboard, but everybody looking at the play obviously disagreed with the call,” Vitello told reporters after the game. “So, I just asked if it could be corrected. I don’t know what the response was, but I just said it was a big call. Twice, I said it was a big call.
“And again, out or safe, it’s a big moment in the game. No curse words, if that’s what you’re getting at. All I said is it was a big call twice. He asked me to stop, I was walking back to the dugout.”
Vitello was ejected over the interaction in the bottom of the seventh inning, after he was denied a challenge on Vinnie Pasquantino’s leadoff double. The first-year manager wanted to see if Pasquantino came off the bag as Willy Adames held the tag on him, but umpire Lance Barrett told him the play couldn’t be reviewed because Adames had...