Wednesday afternoon’s Giants game ended in controversial fashion, when home plate umpire Doug Eddings called Brandon Belt out on strikes on a pitch that appeared to be outside the zone. Had the pitch been called a ball, Belt would’ve made his way to first base, bringing up Evan Longoria with two runners on and the chance to tie what was then a 6-3 game. It was the second questionably called pitch of the at-bat, with strike two also appearing to land outside the zone.
If @MLB fines Brandon Belt for being upset that these two pitches were called strikes in the final AB of a game it would be an injustice. If anything the umpire should be reprimanded. pic.twitter.com/YaQG3Lv2wX
— Jason Radke (@jayrad523) May 17, 2018
In the clubhouse afterwards, Belt blasted Eddings’ call, and even implied that the umpire might’ve made the incorrect call on purpose, in an attempt to end the game early. Belt said that Eddings has talked about doing just that in the past.
“It’s tough because you hope that an umpire doesn’t affect a game like that but he did, and you’re not sure if it’s on purpose, either,” Belt told reporters. “I’ve heard that guy multiple times say or insinuate that he’s trying to get through the game fast. And then he makes calls like that that I can’t imagine that he really thought was a strike. You’ve got to wonder.”
Belt was the asked if Eddings is joking when he makes such claims. Belt wasn’t so sure.
“I don’t know, but if you say it enough, you start to believe it,” Belt said. “So, I’m not sure if that’s connected or not, but if you don’t want it to be, then don’t say it.”
.@SFGiants drop series finale to the Reds and Brandon Belt was NOT happy with being called out on strikes to end the game. pic.twitter.com/DKK0GREL0C
— KPIX 5 (@KPIXtv) May 16, 2018
“I’m not here to talk bad about the umpires,” Belt said. “I think 99.9 percent of the umpires are great and I actually enjoy talking to them. But there’s just some times you have a feeling that one or two of them are trying to get the game over with, whether it’s through what they say or what they do, and that just can’t happen. You can’t have those guys affecting careers and affecting games like that.
“We had a really good hitter coming up after that who could have tied the game for us. And we never got that chance because he calls a ball that was so far off the plate I don’t even think I could have touched it if I swung at it, so …”
The first baseman has a right to be frustrated. Since 2015, no player in Major League Baseball has been called out on more third strikes outside the zone.
Most called strike threes on pitches outside the zone, since 2015:
50 = Brandon Belt
46 = Steven Souza Jr.
41 = Mike Trout
41 = Paul Goldschmidt
38 = Joey VottoData from https://t.co/qBGgjimO5G @darenw
— Aidan Jackson-Evans (@ajacksonevans) May 16, 2018