Shane Bieber was trying to finish his outing strong, aiming to complete four innings with two outs and Julio Rodríguez at the plate. He started the at-bat well, getting a swing-and-miss on a breaking ball. But after a couple of missed spots and tough calls, the count ran to 3-1. Bieber thought he had strike two on a pitch he painted on the lower edge, but the umpire disagreed. Bieber didn’t hide his frustration, asking where the pitch missed. The tension grew after that non-call.
He responded by trying to go high with the 3-1 pitch, thinking he might get that call if he wasn’t getting the low zone. He didn’t. The walk ended his night. As manager John Schneider came out to pull him, Bieber had words for the umpire. Walking off the mound, he voiced his frustration, saying the zone had to be one or the other—high or low. The inconsistency clearly bothered him, and he let it be known on his way off the field.