‘That’s Also a Strike!’ Phillies Announcers Stunned by Brutal Performance From Home Plate Ump
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The Philadelphia Phillies broadcast booth was left in disbelief watching a troubling performance from the home plate umpire on Monday.
That night, the Phillies were in San Francisco for the first game of a three-game series against the Giants. Longtime umpire Phil Cuzzi was behind home plate for the series opener, during which he struggled.
According to the popular ump stat-tracking account Umpire Auditor, Cuzzi missed a staggering 20 calls during the contest.
The eighth inning was especially brutal for Cuzzi. As shown in Umpire Auditor’s video, Phillies star Bryce Harper was in the batter’s box with Kyle Schwarber on first base. He took a low and away sinker on the first pitch of the at-bat. It was several inches off the plate, but was called for a strike. On the second pitch, Harper took a high sinker that was well above the strike zone. Again, Cuzzi called it a strike and Harper quickly fell behind in the count 0-2. He eventually grounded out, and the Phillies failed to bring Schwarber home to break the 1-1 tie.
In the bottom of the eighth, multiple pitches landed squarely in the zone that Cuzzi called balls. When Giants third baseman Matt Chapman faced Phillies pitcher Orion Kerkering, for example, Kerkering threw a fastball that caught the low outside corner of the zone. It should’ve resulted in a strikeout, but Cuzzi called it a ball to even the count at 2-2.
“Another pitch that’s on the plate,” Phillies analyst Ruben Amaro Jr.
“Oh boy, Phil,” play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy.
On the very next pitch, Kerkering threw it in the exact same spot. Again, it was called a ball to put Chapman ahead 3-2.
“Another one,” McCarthy said.
“That’s also a strike!” Amaro Jr. added.
Chapman then hit a single in the at-bat, and the Giants scored two runs in the inning to take a 3-1 lead that would eventually be the final score of the game.
