Aaron Judge’s playoff struggles continued Wednesday night in the Yankees’ 3-2 ALDS Game 3 win over the Royals, but he wasn’t helped by an umpire in a big spot in the seventh inning.
With the game tied 2-2 and a runner on first with two outs, Judge attempted to check his swing on Brady Singer’s full-count slider out of the zone.
First base umpire Mark Carlson deemed that Judge’s bat crossed the plate to end the inning, much to the dismay of Aaron Boone and the Yankees, who were shown on the broadcast fuming over the call.
Judge finished the night 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout and is 1-for-11 with three walks and five strikeouts in three games as the Yankees take a 2-1 series lead into Thursday’s Game 4 in Kansas City.
Aaron Judge tries to check his swing but is called out swinging in the top of the seventh inning against the Royals on Oct. 9, 2024.TBS
It was noted on the TBS broadcast that Boone and bench coach Brad Ausmus were not happy after looking at a replay on an iPad, and color commentator Ron Darling thought their reaction was justified.
“The entire bench was enraged and they should be,” said Darling, who called the game with Bob Costas. “Not a good call by the first base umpire Carlson. I do not think he swung at that, check swing all the way.”
That wasn’t the only controversial call in the game that didn’t go the Yankees’ way.
The Yankees react to Aaron Judge being called out on strike three on his check swing on Oct. 9, 2024.MLB.com
Yankees manager Aaron Boone reacts to Aaron Judge getting rung up by the first base umpire on a check swing on Oct. 9, 2024.TBS
Gleyber Torres had a chance to put the Yankees up 1-0 in the third with a flare down the right-field line that would’ve scored Oswaldo Cabrera from first with two outs, but right-field umpire Ryan Blakney called it a foul ball despite the ball appearing to hit the line.
Giancarlo Stanton and the bullpen carried the Yankees to a win, with Stanton hitting a go-ahead solo homer in the eighth to finish 3-for-5 with two RBIs.
SOurce : nypost.com
