Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland, left, talks with first base umpire Joe West about a safe call on Los Angeles Angels' Howard Kendrick (not pictured) during the second inning of a recent game in Anaheim.

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jim Leyland is feeling more friction between umpires and teams in recent times and says it has become a problem in baseball.

A day after the Detroit manager was among three ejections in the Tigers-Angels game, Leyland said something needs to be done to improve relations between the sides.

“We have to work harder to eliminate some of the tension,” Leyland said before Detroit played Los Angeles on Wednesday. “You can feel it. That’s just not a good situation. That usually causes blowups.”

On Tuesday night, Leyland and Tigers ace Justin Verlander and Angels designated hitter Bobby Abreu were tossed in Detroit’s 1-0 loss.

Leyland was ejected before the seventh inning during a prolonged argument with first base umpire Joe West. It was Leyland’s second ejection in nine days.

The veteran manager said Joe Torre has been working to solve the issue in his new role as Major League Baseball’s executive vice president of baseball operations.

“The tension level is much more than it should be, between managers, players, coaches, umpires,” he said. “I know Joe is trying to get it resolved. But right now, the tension seems like it’s worse.”

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he hasn’t noticed increased problems between his team and umpires, calling the recent influx in ejections “cyclical.”

“I think it’s contingent on some circumstances,” Scioscia said. “You have two teams competing, and if someone misses a call, someone’s going to contest it. But I haven’t noticed anything that would point to it being anything but random. There are going to be arguments, and guys are going to be ejected.”

Last fall, the players’ union asked for a meeting with umpires to discuss troublespots. A planned meeting was postponed in December, but representatives of the union for players and umpires met with management in spring training.

Abreu was ejected in the first inning after arguing a strikeout call by umpire Angel Campos. Scioscia said he thought Campos was a bit quick in tossing the Angels’ No. 3 hitter.