Carlos Correa and Joey Gallo had issues with the strike zone in this game, especially on low pitches. In the top of the sixth with the score tied, Correa took a borderline 2-1 pitch for a strike and gave a quick nod, clearly not thrilled. After the next pitch, also called a strike, he turned and told the ump it was low. He didn’t get tossed, but manager Rocco Baldelli came out to cool things off. The broadcast graphics backed up Correa’s complaint. The pitch was low, but the ump had been consistently calling that area a strike for both teams all game.
Later, in the seventh, Gallo had a full count and got rung up on another low pitch. He turned to protest and shouted it wasn’t down. The Twins’ bench, especially coach David Popkins, lost it. Popkins got ejected after yelling at the ump about the strike zone, unleashing a stream of expletives. Replays showed the pitch to Gallo was borderline but likely a strike according to the tracking data. Gallo’s exaggerated reaction made the call look worse than it was. The Twins clearly weren’t happy, but the ump stayed consistent calling low strikes throughout. The frustration boiled over, but the calls were in line with how the game was being called from the start.