Nationals' 3B Anthony Rendon ejected for first time in his career... the explanation?

Washington Nationals' third baseman Anthony Rendon was not happy with an 0-1 pitch that was called strike two or the break-back 0-2 fastball Chicago Cubs' closer Hector Rondon threw him in his two-out at bat in the ninth that was called strike three by home plate umpire Bob Davidson.

Rendon let Davidson know, in a brief, animated discussion, pointing out that it was outside. Brooksbaseball.net has that particular pitch pretty close (No. 3, obviously):

When the Nationals' 26-year-old infielder came up again in the first at bat of the twelfth inning of Wednesday's game in the nation's capital, against Cubs' right-hander Trevor Cahill, he started up 3-0, took a fastball for a called strike, started to run toward first on a 3-1 fastball outside that appeared to catch the corner, fouled off another pitch in the same spot, fouled off a fastball down the middle, and another low and away, before Cahill threw a fastball low and away that broke back and, in Davidson's opinion, caught the corner.

Rendon... Did. Not. Like it. He was on his way to first, assuming it was ball four, before he turned and voiced his displeasure with the call.

Davidson didn't wait long to make the call. He tossed Rendon. It was the first ejection of the 2011 1st Round pick's major league career.

Rendon was hot. He got up in Davidson's face before Dusty Baker stepped between them.

Baker obviously wasn't going to get his player back in the game (because that never happens), so he had his say before returning to the dugout.

That called third strike? 

Rendon, a normally mild-mannered professional was clearly hot, and he gestured towards home with his bat in his hand.

Apparently Davidson believed he was being threatened. At least that's what he told Nats' skipper Dusty Baker when he explained the ejection.

"He didn't say anything and he said it looked like [Rendon] was going to throw the bat at him," Baker explained.

"And he said he wasn't going to take that, and I said, 'Hey, man, he wasn't going to throw the bat at you.'

"And he said, 'But he looked like it.' And so maybe he's a mind reader. I mean, Anthony wasn't going to throw the bat at him. C'mon man, and that's the explanation I got from him."

Watch for yourself...