"Shohei Ohtani must've bet on Phillies" - MLB fans react to 'atrocious' call against Braves' Max Fried with bases loaded

The Atlanta Braves were on the receiving end of a questionable call just a few days into the new MLB season. The Braves thrashed the Philadelphia Phillies 12 - 4 on Saturday at the Citizens Bank Park.

However, fans were unhappy with a call made by Bruce Dreckman, the umpire at home plate, that they felt cost them three valuable runs in the first inning.

Braves' Max Fried pitched right into center of the strike zone and it should have sent Castellanos back to the bench and ended Philly's innings. But Dreckman called it a ball instead of a strike, which kept the Phillies' OF at the plate. Later in the inning, this was followed by 32-year-old OF getting his side a 3-2 lead.

A section of MLB fans were upset about the umpire's decision. They are also worried about other dubious calls of strikes and balls being made by the umpires throughout the season. Some took to social media to reflect on the call. One fan wrote:

"Shohei Ohtani must've bet on Phillies"

Fans react to the umpire's outrageous call against the Braves

Atlanta Braves place All-Star catcher Sean Murphy on 10 days IL following oblique injury

According to reports, Braves catcher Sean Murphy has been put on the 10-day IL after he suffered an oblique injury. Murphy reportedly had the injury during a swing in Friday's match against the Phillies, due to which he left the game in the middle.

Luckily for the Braves, they still have some solid backstop depth. Travis d'Arnaud is the team's replacement for the spot until Murphy returns.

Before he left the pitch with the injury on Friday, the All-Star catcher was 0-for-3 with a strikeout. In 2023, he appeared in 108 games, hitting .251/.365/.478 with a career-high 21 home runs and 68 RBIs.