Game 5 of the World Series had a lot going on. Yordan Alvarez came through in a big moment with a two-run homer. One fan made headlines when he caught a ball with his bare chest while holding beers, then calmly picked it up and handed it to a woman nearby. He didn’t spill a drop and got applause from the crowd. A pair of women in the stands also drew attention during the broadcast, and a nearby fan seemed more focused on them than the game, nudging his friend to take a look.
The real frustration came with the umpiring. A questionable sequence started when Rainey threw a pitch that Gomes tried to turn into a quick out at third base. The ump hadn’t made the call yet, didn’t like being rushed, and waited to make the decision almost out of spite. It didn’t impact the score immediately, as Brenton Lee flew out on the next pitch, and the Astros still earned the win. But fans and players were visibly annoyed by the inconsistencies. In the next half-inning, Robles took what should have been ball four and walked toward first, only to be called out on strikes. The pitch was clearly outside. Earlier, Zimmermann had walked on a similar pitch just inches different, yet the ump had called that one a ball. Overlapping graphics showed the inconsistency clearly. The issue isn’t about who won the game. It’s about the strike zone being unreliable in the biggest game of the season. Fans want the calls to be right, not random.