Red Sox first baseman hits homer, flips bat, gets ejected in win

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras hit a 421-foot three-run homer and flipped his bat during a 6-3 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday night. Contreras shouted "Venezuela" toward the dugout after the homer, his 18th of the season. He later broke down in tears in the dugout.

"Everything that's going on in Venezuela; it's not easy to hide," Contreras told reporters after the game. "

aftermath First-base umpire Nic Lentz ejected Contreras in the second inning after ruling he failed to check his swing on a Miles Mikolas pitch. Check swings cannot be challenged under the rules.

Lentz said after the game that Contreras' gesture of tapping his helmet was disrespectful and led to the ejection. Contreras, 34, was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. He said he feels frustration over reports that volunteers and aid packages are having trouble reaching people affected by two earthquakes that struck the country last week.