THE Los Angeles Angels were victims of some poor officiating on Wednesday, and the team broadcasters were livid about it.
In the middle of a crucial part of the game, the Angels were given the short end of the stick from umpire Erich Bacchus.
Los Angeles Angels broadcasters were left fuming with a strike three call[/caption]
The strikeout came in a pivotal moment and helped the Mets win the game[/caption]
Play-by-play broadcaster Wayne Randazzo and color commentator Mark Gubicza were besides themselves as they watched Bacchus strike out Luis Rengifo in a crucial situation.
The Angels had two men on with two outs against the New York Mets.
Rengifo represented the tying run at the plate while the Angels attempted to come back from a 3-6 deficit.
With the first pitch of the at bat, Diaz fired a ball outside that was called a strike.
“Oh that is so far of the plate,” Gubicza said.
Diaz then fell behind 3-1 and fired another ball outside that should have been ball four, but it was called strike two.
“And it’s… called a strike!” Randazzo said.
“Oh that’s not even close,” Gubicza replied.
On the next pitch, Diaz put another ball in almost the exact same spot that resulted in strike three.
The strikeout call sent the Angels broadcasters into a frenzy.
“And it’s ball- oh he called that a strike! That’s ridiculous!” Randazzo shouted.
“That is a terrible call and it’s two in a row from umpire Erich Bacchus, the home plate umpire, to end the inning.”
The strikeout killed any momentum that the Angels were building and led to the team’s eventual loss.
“Wow, two not even close to the strike zone,” Gubicza said.
The broadcasters weren’t the only people upset about the calls.
Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery and pitching coach Barry Enright were both ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes.
MLB All-Star Game Starters 2025
Here are the All-Star teams for the American League and National League at the Midsummer Classic on July 15 at Atlanta’s Truist Park, voted on by the fans.
American League Starters
- Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
- First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
- Second base: Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers
- Third base: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
- Shortstop: Jacob Wilson, The Athletics
- Outfield: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
- Outfield: Javier Báez, Tigers
- Outfield: Riley Greene, Tigers
- Designated hitter: Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles
National League Starters
- Catcher: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
- First base: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers
- Second base: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Third base: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
- Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, New York Mets
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves
- Outfield: Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs
- Outfield: Kyle Tucker, Cubs
- Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers
The at bat was a representation of how poorly Bacchus called the game between the Mets and Angels.
He missed 17 calls in the game, with 13 of them going against the Angels.
This infuriated fans, who shared their thoughts on social media.
“Struck out looking on ball 6,” one fan said.
“These umps have been terrible all year,” another fan said.
“Umpires need to be held accountable for their performance,” a third fan said.
