Mitch Haniger Was Victim to Ridiculously Bad Strike 3 Call on Thursday

Hey ump... we know it's the ninth inning of a getaway day game, but this pitch was nearly over Mitch Haniger's head...

May 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger (17) looks on during the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports / Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Mariners were beaten by the New York Yankees on Thursday afternoon, 5-0, at Yankee Stadium. The loss dropped the M's to 27-24 on the season and earned them a split in the four-game series.

We wrote about the full game, and you can read the recap here, however one of the more frustrating parts of the game occured in the top of the ninth inning.

With no outs in the frame Mitch Haniger was punched out on a ridiculous strike three call by the home plate umpire. It was so egregious that Rob Friedeman, aka @PitchingNinja posted it on social media with a robot emoji, essentially saying we need robot umpires.

🤖 pic.twitter.com/UxwHhkRdBu

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 23, 2024

Yes, it was late in the game. Yes, the game was essentially over. And yes, it was getaway day, but man, that's a terrible miss by home plate umpire Alex MacKay. While the game was effectively over, Haniger is still playing and is still trying to make the most of his opportunity. Instead, he strikes out, goes 0-for-2, and lowers his average for the year to .214.

This wasn't the only call that the M's were frustrated with, either. Luis Castillo, who started for Seattle, was also questioning MacKay at various points of the afternoon.

All in all, the M's still earned a split against the best team in the American League. They are now 3-4 through a grueling 10-game road trip that ends this weekend in Washington.

The Mariners will take on the Nationals on Friday night with first pitch coming at 3:45 p.m. PT.

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