SI

Mics Picked Up Spencer Strider's Dismissive Message to Juan Soto After Strikeout

Strider had something to say to Soto after the Mets star didn't like the umpire's call on a strikeout looking.

Tim Capurso

Soto didn't like the umpire's call. Strider did.
Soto didn't like the umpire's call. Strider did. / Screengrab Twitter @TalkinBaseball_
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The SNY television mics continue to be a gift to baseball fans.

During the bottom of the fifth inning of the Atlanta Braves' 7-4 win over the New York Mets on Tuesday night, the station's mics picked up an interaction between Braves pitcher Spencer Strider and Mets star slugger Juan Soto, the latter of whom didn't like the umpire's call on a strikeout looking.

Soto, after walking in each of his first two at-bats against Strider, worked the count full in his third trip to the batter's box against the Braves ace. Strider then delivered a four-seam fastball on the lower inside corner of the plate, a pitch that home-plate umpire Adam Hamari called strike three.

Soto, started heading up the first-base line thinking it was ball four, then hopped in the air in frustration as he headed towards Hamari to express his displeasure with the call.

As he did so, Strider let Soto know what he thought of the call.

"It's right down the middle," Strider said three times to Soto.

The pitch was not an obvious third strike, but did appear to catch the outside part of the plate. Plus, Hamari earned the benefit of the doubt with his performance on Tuesday night, as Umpire Scorecards gave him a 96% accuracy rating for the contest.

For Soto and the Mets, the frustration goes beyond just the disagreement with an umpire's call. The club has dropped nine of its last 10 games and fallen out of first place in the National League East in a worrisome stretch of play. Meanwhile, Atlanta, after an abysmal start to the season, is now just four games under .500 and 7-3 in its last 10 contests.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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