Gabe Morales had a rough series with some borderline check-swing calls that didn’t sit well with players or coaching staff. In one inning, Suarez appeared to go around, but Morales said no swing. Later, the same call went to Christian Walker—again, no swing. But in the top of the fifth, George Springer had a similar-looking check swing and Morales rang him up. That inconsistency set off Blue Jays pitcher Chris Bassitt, who chirped from the dugout and got tossed after Morales snapped back. Bench coach John Schneider came out to defend his team, telling Morales not to bark at the bench.
Things didn’t cool down the next day. Morales rotated to home plate and called another borderline swing without asking for help, even though it looked questionable from some angles. That led to another confrontation with Schneider, who argued the umpire should have checked with the first base ump like he’s supposed to. The tension carried over from the previous night’s incidents when Morales missed at least one, maybe more, swing calls. Schneider pushed back, accusing him of missing all three, while Morales insisted it was just one. The two went back and forth, with both clearly frustrated.
The video breaks down side-by-side replays of those swings, showing how similar Suarez’s and Springer’s motions were. If one was a swing, both should be. The lack of rule clarity on what counts as a swing—since it all comes down to “attempting at the ball”—makes these kinds of arguments unavoidable. Morales probably should’ve asked for help instead of trying to make close calls on his own. This kind of inconsistency drives players and coaches nuts, and it’s easy to see why.