"Bill Hall had harsh words for home plate umpire Tom Hallion and about the state of umpire accountability after Hallion ejected him Thursday following Hall's seventh-inning strikeout.

Hall took the first two strikes and stepped out of the box, not re-entering for 22 seconds amid some conversation. Three pitches later, he swung through strike three, shouted something as he was walking back to the dugout and was tossed by Hallion, who gesticulated emphatically at Hall in the process.

"He missed the first two. Weren't strikes," Hall said. "I didn't really say anything to him, and once I got out of the box, he was yelling at me, cussing me out, telling me to get the (expletive) in the box."

"After I swung and missed at the third one, I cussed myself out. I didn't look toward him. I said 'dammit' going back to the dugout, and he threw me out of the game. It was just ridiculous."

Hall then criticized the state of umpiring in general.

"It's amazing how umpires can get away with so much stuff and nothing happens to them," he said. "It's all about them trying to get something on ESPN punching someone out. … It's a joke the stuff they can say on the field and stuff they do on the field, and when we get mad, we're the one that gets tossed and gets fined and suspended for games. And most of the time they don't get anything."

Two steps forward

Jason Michaels' stay on the disabled list appears as if it won't carry much past the required 15 days if at all.

Michaels took a successful round of batting practice Thursday and will be sent out on a minor league rehab assignment for Class AAA Oklahoma City on Saturday. The backup outfielder and pinch hitter is eligible to come off the disabled list for Tuesday's home game against the Reds.

Carlos Lee took an important step toward recovering from a bruised rib cage. Lee, like Michaels, took batting practice for the first time since being hurt."