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The New York Yankees narrowly edged out the Los Angeles Angels in a low-scoring 1-0 contest on Wednesday night. However, it didn't come without any controversy, as the last pitch thrown to Logan O'Hoppe sparked debates by baseball commentators and fans alike.
Down by a run in the bottom of the 9th with a man on first base and two outs. O'Hoppe was put to the test by Yankee reliever Mark Leiter Jr. with a 2-2 count. Leiter threw a curveball that was way outside the zone but was perfectly framed by catcher J.C. Escarra. Home plate umpire Ben May then called the pitch a strike, much to the chagrin of O'Hoppe, the Angels fans, and the broadcast team.
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Angels fans vented out their frustrations on X about the controversial call made by the umpire with the game on the line.
"@MLBUA is a terrorist organization," a fan proclaimed.
"Angel Hernandez tribute call," a fan stated.
"Imagine having a superimposed box for everyone at home to see balls and strikes, but the guy calling the game can’t see it. So wild," one fan shared.
"It’s so embarrassing…. He should be suspended and fined…. Get a call right after the game by mlb to let him know how bad of call that was… instead nothing will happen and he’ll go to sleep thinking he didn’t f*ck up horribly," a fan lamented.
After the strikeout call, O'Hoppe, who is known for being a calm and composed player, had a conversation with the umpire. Nonetheless, the discontent with umpires' errors still won't subside as calls for the ABS system to be implemented have been louder than ever.
"It’s completely inexcusable that we don’t have the ABS system in the majors. This call would be fixed in 10 seconds," a fan stated.
"I simply cannot wait for the challenge system cause these guys are going to look like fools in front of the entire stadium," a fan pointed out.
Although batting at a decent .260 for the year, O'Hoppe went 0-for-3 in the game against the Bombers.
Yankees edge out Angels in series-closer
The Yankees snagged the victory from the Angels in the 1-0 series-closing game in Anaheim. With the win, the Yankees accomplished a three-game sweep and improved their record to 35-20.
The Angels, on the other hand, fell to 25-30 and are now on a five-game losing streak. They will now travel eastward as they face the Guardians and Red Sox consecutively to open June.
As for the Yankees, they will face their World Series adversaries in the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine starting on May 30 for a three-game series. Eyes will be glued on the matchup as after last year's Fall Classic, both teams have maintained dominance and seem poised to make claim the pennants of their respective divisions for the second year in a row.
