Sunday night baseball at Citi Field was eventful as the New York Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers clashed for their series finale. With their 8-3 win over the Dodgers, the Mets avoided a series sweep after dropping the previous two games. Amid the Dodgers’ bullpen meltdown and homers from Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien, what stood out was another blunder from MLB umpires. As expected, their approach to the game triggered anger among fans.   

MLB umpires have been under scrutiny since the start of the season for all the wrong things. The introduction of the Automated Ball Strike challenge system highlighted the extent of oversight on the umpires’ part. Sunday’s game showed the importance of ABS and careful umpires, as they forgot the Dodgers were already out of challenges and allowed them one. The challenge, in turn, exposed the umpire’s wrong call. Jomboy Media posted the whole fiasco on X.

“Umpire forgets the Dodgers are out of challenges and exposes his bad call,” wrote Jomboy Media on X.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, after Taylor’s three-run homer made the score 3-4 Mets, Brett Baty was at the plate. On a 1-1 count from Evan Phillips, the home plate umpire, Malachi Moore, ruled a 96mph four-seamer a ball. Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo challenged the call. ABS showed it was actually a strike, and then the controversy started.

Instead of overturning the on-field call, the challenge was nullified as the Dodgers had already used up their quota of ABS challenges. A fact that the umpires forgot.

According to the rules set by the MLB regarding the ABS challenge system, each team gets only two challenges per game. The Dodgers exhausted their last challenge at the top of the sixth when Teoscar Hernandez was struck out looking.

Despite the challenge exposing the mistake by the home plate umpire, the call was not overturned. The pitch was ruled a ball. However, the Dodgers grounded out Baty before he could do any damage offensively.  

As the umpires accidentally exposed themselves, the Dodgers fans were rightly irritated.

MLB umpire’s blunder triggers fan outrage

A fan wrote on X, “As an umpire, this has to make you want to just say f—k it and go home.”

The glaring carelessness on the umpires’ part earned them jabs from the Dodgers fanbase. One fan commented, “Based (Biased), the ump’s brain must’ve been on a beach vacation while the Dodgers were out of challenges.”

Others noted how it was ultimately unfair that the Dodgers have to suffer for the umpire’s mistake.

“Brutal. That umpire just admitted he blew it and the Dodgers paid the price,” wrote another.

Some users also demanded consequences for the umpires.

“Until umpires face consequences, this will only continue to get worse,” noted one. Another tried to give a solution: “If you challenge when the team is out of challengers there should be some sort of penalty.”

With so many umpiring blunders this season, the officials need to step up their game or face more fan outrage.