SI

Home Plate Umpire Makes Mind-Boggling Strike Call to Speed Up Game

Just a bit outside.

Kyle Koster

Laz Diaz with a rather large strike zone.
Laz Diaz with a rather large strike zone. / MLB
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When the specter of a potential rainout is hanging over a game that has not yet reached official status is in play, umpires are tasked with juggling two goals. One, continue calling balls and strikes in a fair and reasonable fashion. Two, speed things along so the 4.5- or 5-inning mark can be realized and get things in the books. Laz Diaz was faced with this conundrum as he worked behind the dish of Tuesday's soggy Texas Rangers-Tampa Bay Rays tilt.

And with the Rays leading 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth, he choose the latter initiative with Tampa's Jake Mangum at the plate. A 1-2 breaking ball that was decisively outside was ruled strike three by Diaz, much to everyone's surprise. It was an objectively bad call—but one perhaps made for the greater good.

Mangum was understandably frustrated. Yet the Rays were able to get the Rangers out in the fifth to secure a 1-0 win ... had the game been called. Which it wasn't, as the two teams eventually played to a 5-1 Tampa Bay victory over the full scheduled nine innings.

No harm, no foul. Except to Mangum's batting average. On the other hand, Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle was treated to a bonus strikeout. Everything balances out.

For some visual context of just how bad this call was, consider that it crossed the plate completely in the other batter's box.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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