In a controversial and frustrating moment, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers was called out on a game-ending third strike by home plate umpire Paul Emmel.
The missed call determined the outcome of the game, leaving the Dodgers disappointed.
Prior to Betts’ strikeout, the Dodgers were close to completing a remarkable comeback after falling behind by three runs early and then surrendering a tiebreaking home run by Nolan Gorman in the eighth inning.
They had rallied in the ninth, but Emmel’s wide strike zone had already come into play. The call against Betts seemed clearly outside the strike zone, denying the Dodgers a chance to continue their rally.
Despite the frustration, Betts acknowledged that there was nothing more he could have done.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts and teammate J.D. Martinez expressed their disappointment in the missed call, highlighting that it didn’t give the hitter a fair chance.
The game-ending call overshadowed Martinez’s earlier three-run homer and Noah Syndergaard’s strong pitching performance.
The Dodgers’ bullpen had kept the game tied until Gorman’s home run in the eighth.
Despite their efforts, the game was decided by an umpire’s call, which Roberts lamented, emphasizing the disappointment of seeing a game determined by someone not wearing a player’s uniform.
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