The Phillies took on the A’s in Sacramento, and things got heated thanks to some questionable strike calls. Jesús Luzardo figured out fast that the home plate umpire was giving him a wide zone on the outside corner. Once he discovered it, he spammed that spot repeatedly and kept getting the call. According to UMP Scorecards, this umpire is the third least accurate in the league so far, and it showed. With the game tied and runners on in the bottom of the seventh, Miguel Andújar stepped in. Luzardo hit the same outside zone, got a called strike, and frustration boiled over in the A’s dugout.
A’s manager Mark Kotsay had enough. After the ump wagged a finger toward the dugout, Kotsay fired back, telling him not to “finger” him and demanding respect. The ump didn’t like that response and promptly ejected Kotsay, triggering a loud and profanity-filled rant. Kotsay argued he’s an adult and deserved to be addressed directly, not pointed at. Then came the long walk back to the clubhouse, made even more awkward since they were playing at a minor league ballpark with fans up close on all sides.
Back at the plate, nothing changed. Luzardo went right back to that outside edge, and Andújar continued to be rung up on pitches clearly off the plate. Even after the ejection, the ump stuck to his strike zone, and the A’s hitters were left shaking their heads. The accuracy issues were obvious, and everyone watching knew it.