D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo admits controversial call in WS Game 3 made him lose sleep: "I woke up steaming mad"

Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo has seen it all this season. From being virtually discarded from the postseason conversation in August to beating some of the NL's best teams in the playoffs, 2023 has been full of surprises.

Game 3 of the World Series on Monday saw Lovullo's D-Backs seek to move ahead in the series with the Texas Rangers. With the Snakes down 3-1 in the ninth inning, young catcher Gabriel Moreno stepped up to the plate to lead off Arizona's last guaranteed batting frame.

After taking a borderline strike for a ball, the 23-year-old Venezuelan went ahead in the count 3-1. Then, Texas Rangers reliever Jose LeClerc delivered a slider that tailed away from the plate. As Moreno began to stride towards third, home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez called a strike. Moreno would later ground out, sealing the Diamondbacks' fate.

"Gabriel Moreno got screwed on this strike call" - Jomboy Media

The play evoked strong emotions from fans of all stripes. LeClerc got the next two batters out as the Texas Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the World Series. While Torey Lovullo was able to resist the urge to take to the field to argue with Marquez, the 58-year-old manager had some strong words afterwards.

In a press conference ahead of Game 4, Lovullo took questions from the media. One such query probed Lovullo about his feelings towards the strike call that Moreno fell victim to. The Arizona Diamondbacks manager said he lost sleep over the incident, recounting that he woke up "steaming" about it the night before.

"Torey Lovullo was up at 3:30 am looking at some of the ball/strike calls from game 3 “steaming mad.”" - Mark McClune

In terms of production, Moreno has been one of the hottest hitters on the Snakes this October. Moreno's four homers are tied with Alek Thomas for the most on the team, and he has also contributed with four RBIs this postseason.

Exchanged by the Toronto Blue Jays in a deal for outfielder Daulton Varsho, Moreno is seen as one of baseball's rising stars.

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Torey Lovullo's passion for his team is palpable

In his nine years as D-Backs manager, Torey Lovullo has seen some high highs and some low lows. From going to one of MLB's poorest records in 2021 to emerging as the NL champs is nothing less than remarkable.

Perhaps the notion that Lovullo loses sleep over his team is a reason why he has been kept around.