Triston Casas watched six balls land outside the strike zone before leaving the batters' box in the bottom of the ninth inning during Friday's game. There was just one problem - three of those pitches were called strikes and Casas had to return to the dugout rather than walking to first base.
Boston Red Sox fans are waking up this morning (though some are still probably asleep) and are absolutely fuming about David Rackley's horrific job as the home plate umpire for Friday night's game against the Seattle Mariners.
You've heard about that automated balls-strikes (ABS) system that Major League Baseball keeps tinkering with in the minor leagues, right? Yeah, maybe it's time to go ahead and bring that to the big leagues. It's either that or get Rackley some eyeglasses.
Red Sox, Nick Pivetta hosed by umpires in loss to Mariners
Casas' final at-bat was a microcosm of the entire game. Balls that were continually out of the zone were called strikes all night long. The critical fan would claim that players need to adjust the umpire's strike zone. And while there's a nugget of truth in that statement, the reality is that the umpire needs to know the strike zone as well the players do, if not better.
Last two strikes against Triston Casas weren’t even in the zone.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) March 30, 2024
Pathetic stuff from David Rackley. He’s been a mess all night.
Just robbed the Red Sox of a leadoff walk.
pic.twitter.com/3wVmKtpooZ
On the other side of the equation, Reds Sox starter Nick Pivetta absolutely shoved on Friday night at T-Mobile Park. The right-hander went six strong innings, racked up 10 Ks, and allowed just one run on three hits while not issuing a single walk. Pivetta's only mistake was a pitch to J.P. Crawford in the sixth. The Mariners shortstop took that 0-1 offering over the right field wall and into the seats.
The fact that Pivetta's outing was spoiled by Rackley's pathetic strike zone is disappointing. Had Casas reached base safely in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Red Sox would have brought the go-ahead run to the plate with no outs. Instead, Ceddanne Rafaela and Pablo Reyes went down on strikes. Even the 1-1 pitch that Reyes took for a called strike was borderline at best.
Red Sox fans are hopeful to never see Rackley behind the dish for the rest of the season. It'll be another late night on the East Coast, Sox fans. Kutter Crawford will go to the hill for Boston and will be opposed by Seattle starter Logan Gilbert. Quinn Wolcott should be behind the plate tonight. Let's hope he has a better understanding of his job than Rackley did.