It was a night to remember for the Dodgers, as they levelled the World Series 1-1 after winning Game 2 by a score of 5-1. The night will especially be remembered for the pitching masterclass by Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Japanese pitcher was imperious against Toronto, throwing 25 fastballs at an average velocity of 96.1 mph. He also threw 32 curveballs, 13 cutters, six sliders, and three sinkers in the one-run complete game. This turned out to be an unforgettable night for another Dodgers’ star as well, just not for the reasons he would have liked.

It was supposed to be an out, and Freddie Freeman has seen such a situation multiple times in his MLB career. Instead, the former MVP misjudged the ball and ended up outrunning it. It was a moment of disbelief, not just for the team, but for the broadcaster and millions of fans, as well.

As the camera zoomed in on the Gold Glove award winner’s face, Fox play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis said, “Oh my goodness! What in the world happened?!”. That was shared by Awful announcing on Twitter, and it quickly caught fire on social media.

That moment was bizarre. Freeman overran a basic infield hop-out, and it dropped some feet behind the star. Yamamoto later handled the situation and retired the next 3 batters. However, it showed the critics a gap in the team.

So, after Davis’ statement, fans started targeting him and started to criticize the Fox broadcaster.

Dodgers fans blast Joe Davis for negative tone

One fan wrote, “Am I just biased or does Joe Davis sound more negative towards the Dodgers?”, echoing a sentiment which rapidly spread across X. Several followers of the Dodgers, habitual to Davis’s usual warmth as the clubhouse’s regular-season voice, felt his national tone carried an unnecessary edge. For them, it was not just the call, it was the potent energy behind it.

Another fan went beyond that and stated, “I’m gonna say it. It sounds like Joe Davis is trying too hard not to sound like he calls Dodgers games all season long. He is sounding like a d–k.” That annoyance mirrored how some fans believe that national broadcasters overcompensate to look neutral. In a high-stakes World Series, every nuance is amplified, and Davis’s efforts sounded unbiased but came off to some as detached or even dismissive.

One viewer takes a whole different moment: “Joe Davis just basically said ‘Freddie Freeman couldn’t do that’ during a Blue Jays pop-up out. Lmaooo.” Here, the problem was not bias so much as tone, but he felt Davis’s commentary accidentally joshed a former player during one of his rare mistakes. Contextually, Davis’s remark may have been a normal observation, but perception ruled the timeline.  

And then comes the outburst of frustration: “WHY IS JOE DAVIS SHADING US.” The reaction perfectly captured the night’s mood for many. The Dodgers had dramatically tied the series, until now, supporters felt the Fox Booth’s energy failed to match the moment. Rather than celebrating Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete-game brilliance, attention was rerouted to perceived negatively from the broadcast. 

Another fan stated a mythical complaint: “Is Joe Davis deliberately trying to jinx him?” That half-joke punch spoke to the tension of postseason baseball, where every word feels like it might incline fate. Between tense innings and a city watching, even broadcasters become part of the narrative, particularly when their tone rubs the home crowd the wrong way.

Finally, what should have been a celebratory night for Yamamoto’s brilliance and the Dodgers’ retrieval changed into a discussion over the broadcaster’s tone. Words of  Joe Davis, though they look harmless, remind supporters how emotions strike high under October lights. As the Dodgers evened the series, one thing is obvious: in the World Series, every play, pitch, and even sentence can ignite a saga of its own.