The Seattle Mariners escaped with a 1–0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night. But it wasn’t without the usual MLB drama, thanks to a questionable call behind the plate.
In the third inning, the Mariners had two runners on with two outs when Randy Arozarena stepped into the box. The count ran full. The next pitch from Pirates starter Jared Jones sailed outside the zone. It looked like ball four. Arozarena began to react—then came the call: strike three.
Home plate umpire Chris Guccione ran him up on what many watching saw as a blatant miss. Even Mariners announcer Aaron Goldsmith couldn’t hold back his disbelief:
“Oooh, that is not a good call! Arozarena was rung up on ball four.”
Another Strike Against MLB Umpiring Standards
It’s not just fans who are tired of missed calls. Broadcasters and players are starting to openly question MLB umpiring. Guccione’s call took the wind out of Seattle’s sails during a key offensive moment. A walk would’ve loaded the bases with a chance to blow the game open. Instead, the inning ended, and the scoreboard remained blank.
While the Mariners eventually scored the lone run needed to win, the incident added to a growing pile of criticism aimed at inconsistent strike zones this season. Calls like these are reviving debates around robot umpires, with many fans demanding technology take over the job behind the plate.
Seattle Stay in the Hunt, But Pressure Mounts on Officials
With the win, Seattle improved to 47–42. They remain firmly in the AL West race, seven games behind the surging Houston Astros. But for many watching, the win felt a little less satisfying, knowing a blown call almost derailed it.
The clip of Goldsmith’s call quickly went viral on social media, with fans and analysts alike slamming the strike-three decision. One fan wrote, “It’s time. Bring on the robo umps.”
Until the league takes action, these controversies aren’t going anywhere. And the next one could come in a postseason game where it really counts.
Read More: Ranking All 30 MLB Teams by How Often They Blame the Umpires
