The San Francisco Giants’ 4-2 victory over the Colorado Rockies to even the series at 1-1 was certainly good news, but it came with its fair share of chaos. Confusion over a controversial balk call led to an argument that resulted in first-year manager Tony Vitello’s ejection. The Giants improved to 40-55 and remain ahead of only the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies in the National League. And once the game was over, Vitello shared his two cents on the matter.

“It was a debate that was never gonna end,” Vitello told the media, per KNBR on X. “I’m sure you’ve had some with your friends where eventually somebody punches somebody, or you just walk away and agree to disagree.”

Despite disagreeing, the 47-year-old had to walk away as crew chief Lance Barksdale ejected him following a heated argument that unfolded in the third.

On Saturday, the Giants entrusted Tyler Mahle with the ball to start the game. The right-hander was throwing to Mickey Moniak when Andy González, the Rockies’ third base coach, claimed a balk for a previous pitch. Mahle’s strike was canceled as the umpires concluded that the concerned pitch was indeed a balk, and that Mahle had not declared that he would not throw after the windup.

Following the ruling, the Rockies were awarded their first run on Saturday, when catcher Brett Sullivan scored from third base. The umpires’ decision sparked the argument with Vitello, as he protested the delayed call.

With the unfolding chaos, the broadcasters said, “Tony Vitello’s losing his mind, and he should.”

Though Vitello exited the field, the confusing atmosphere in Oracle Park persisted due to scoreboard issues. Per Vitello, Mahle’s canceled strike was supposed to bring the count down to 0-1. Instead, it remained unchanged at 0-2, indicating Moniak was out on the next strike. However, Moniak ultimately did not get struck out, and he reached base on a single.

Vitello told MLB.com:

“I just wanted to know how we could reverse back in time. The example I used is if a guy doesn’t pause, it’s technically a balk. But once the pitch is made, the pitch is made.”

The manager’s exit marked his second ejection this season. His first ejection came in early April against the New York Mets.

The Giants had issues with the umpire the day before as well.

In the ninth inning of the 4-3 loss, Grant McCray was on second and Luis Arraez on third. The umpires ruled that Cole Carrigg had nabbed Casey Schmitt’s line drive, declaring him out. However, the call was ultimately overturned, and the Giants players were awarded a base as they had to stall due to the ruling.

On Saturday, the only run Mahle allowed was on a balk call. He pitched a dominant seven innings, giving up three walks. Mahle also registered 4 strikeouts in the game. After the game, the pitcher took responsibility for the confusion caused.

Tyler Mahle takes responsibility for the balk

On Saturday, Mahle registered his first win since mid-April. Across 15 starts, Mahle now holds a 2-8 record with a 5.31 ERA.

Following the game, the veteran right-hander spoke about the confusion with the scoreboard when the strike count remained 0-2 instead of becoming 0-1. He dubbed the situation “messed up.” Though Mahle had nothing to do with the delayed ruling, he took responsibility for not declaring whether he was going to pitch after the windup.

According to MLB.com, Mahle said:

“It was my fault. It was a weird situation because I didn’t declare, and then I didn’t know what happened after the pitch had happened. No one called anything. I messed that up, and then the weird thing was they took the pitch away after they didn’t call a balk until later. I could have unraveled there, but I just tried to do my job and make pitches after that.”

Mahle is under a one-year, $10 million deal with the Giants. The franchise signed the 31-year-old righty to solidify its rotation. But he has been inconsistent on the mound, posting a 6.04 ERA before he went on the IL with a hamstring strain.

As the Giants remain unlikely to secure a playoff berth based on their performance till now, the franchise can trade him before the August 3 deadline.