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Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt smashes tablet after blown call from umpire

Toronto starter Chris Bassitt took out his frustration in the dugout after a borderline call didn't go his way.

Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt smashes tablet after blown call from umpire

The Toronto Blue Jays lost a roller-coaster game to the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, and the tone for the wild affair at Rogers Centre was set in the first inning.

After retiring the first two Mariners hitters, Blue Jays starter Chris Bassitt appeared to strike out Jarred Kelenic on an inside pitch that seemed to catch the edge of the zone. Bassitt didn't get the call and proceeded to walk Kelenic.

Bassitt then issued another walk to Cal Raleigh before hitting Teoscar Hernandez with a pitch. Taylor Trammell stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and made the veteran hurler pay by hitting a grand slam to stake the visitors to an early 4-0 lead.

Once Bassitt retired the side and returned to the dugout, he presumably watched the replay of the borderline call to Kelenic that ended up extending the inning. The 34-year-old was furious with what he saw and smashed the tablet.

Toronto's offence immediately picked up its rattled starter and trimmed the deficit to 4-2 in the bottom of the first. A three-run homer from Bo Bichette put the Blue Jays ahead 5-4 in the second frame before the team tacked on three more runs in the third to extend the lead to 8-4.

Bassitt rebounded nicely after the disastrous first inning and didn't allow another run for the rest of his outing. He exited after five innings and in line for the win as Toronto maintained its four-run cushion.

Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt took out his frustrations in the dugout after a tough first inning on Sunday. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)
Blue Jays starting pitcher Chris Bassitt took out his frustrations in the dugout after a tough first inning on Sunday. (John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports)

The Blue Jays' bullpen had other ideas, though.

Each reliever that followed Bassitt allowed at least one run as Seattle came back to tie the game 8-8 before Raleigh delivered the decisive blow on a two-run home run in the 10th. The Blue Jays couldn't muster anything in the bottom half of the frame as they failed to sweep Seattle and saw their six-game win streak come to an end.

Bassitt bit his tongue in his post-game media availability, declining to lash out at home plate umpire Mark Carlson for the costly error.

The right-hander's Blue Jays tenure got off to a rocky start when he was shelled for nine runs in the third game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 2, but then logged four consecutive quality starts before Sunday's outing. He now owns a 5.18 ERA on the season.

The Toledo, Ohio native signed a three-year, $63-million deal with Toronto in the offseason.