The Philadelphia Phillies dropped a tough one on Monday night and the MLB umpiring crew didn’t help matters. In a tightly contested 3-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants, veteran umpire Phil Cuzzi found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
Late in the game, with the score tied 1–1 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cuzzi made a sequence of questionable calls during Matt Chapman’s at-bat. Phillies reliever Orion Kerkering appeared to paint the edge of the strike zone not once, not twice, but three times, yet Cuzzi refused to ring up strike three.
Chapman went on to single, advancing the go-ahead runner. A few pitches later, the Giants brought him home for the game-winner.
Umpire Decisions Under Fire
To be fair, umpiring isn’t easy. Strike zones fluctuate, and TV’s graphic overlay isn’t always gospel. But even with those caveats, fans are finding it hard to justify Monday night’s calls, especially when comparing how Cuzzi expanded the zone earlier in the eighth against Bryce Harper.
The side-by-side breakdown of both at-bats, Harper’s and Chapman’s, is making the rounds online, and Phillies fans are furious.
Phillies Missed Chances Add Up
While the umpiring didn’t do Philly any favors, the team didn’t help itself either. The Phillies went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, stranding multiple chances to take the lead. Still, the missed calls overshadowed much of the postgame conversation.
It’s yet another example of why calls for robot umpires continue to grow louder across the MLB.
With October dreams in the balance, the Phillies can’t afford games like this, especially ones decided by human error.
Read More: MLB’s Wildest Week Yet: When the Umpires Became the Story
