Nats GM Mike Rizzo, umpire have heated postgame exchange

Washington general manager Mike Rizzo got into a shouting match with second-base umpire Jim Joyce in the hallway between clubhouses after the final out of theNew York Mets' 9-7 win over the visitingNationals on Thursday night.

It followed the Nationals' attempt to rally in the ninth inning, which was thwarted when Jayson Werth was called for an illegal takeout slide at second base.

"You blew it," Rizzo said on his way to the Nationals' clubhouse as he passed the umpire crew, which included Joyce, according to the New York Daily News.

The call was upheld following a replay review, giving the Mets a double play after Asdrubal Cabrera had made a diving stop at shortstop of Daniel Murphy's sharp grounder.

Werth was also called out earlier in the game at second with the umpire citing the slide rule, the Daily News reported.

Rizzo and Joyce then had to be restrained by by Citi Field security and the other umpires, according to the Daily News' report. Among their heated words, Joyce shouted to Rizzo to identify himself, which the Nats executive loudly obliged.

"I don't need it out there either. You want to yell? Yell," Rizzo said, according to the Daily News. "I'm right here."

"You're the one that came up and talked to me," Joyce reportedly replied.

Nationals manager Dusty Baker said the guidelines regarding slides into second base were tenuous.

"I know I've been told four or five different things from different crews about the rules, and last time, I was told it was going to be a common-sense-type thing," Baker said. "I don't know how you teach young players now to break up a double play, because there's no such thing as breaking up a double play."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.