Questionable. That would be one word to describe how umpiring across MLB has unfolded over the past few months. Calls have been overturned via the ABS left, right, and center, while certain umpires like CB Bucknor and Ron Kulpa have remained the target of fans’ ire. True to that narrative, when the San Francisco Giants entered Kauffman Stadium hoping to snap their four-game skid in the second half, the talking point quickly shifted from the loss to the controversial ruling by the umpires. The result? The broadcasters’ explosive reaction.

“Alfonso Marquez, is he telling Vitello he can’t challenge? I mean, that is absolutely ridiculous,” Dave Flemming ripped into the umpire, as per the KNBR X post. “That’s pretty bad. That is one of the worst ones I’ve seen in a long time.”

The Giants were leading 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, but one play turned the tide against them. Kansas City Royals first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino managed a line drive to the right off starter Landen Roupp. Jung Hoo Lee made a quick throw to second base, and it looked like Willy Adames tagged Pasquantino, but the second base umpire, Mike Estabrook, marked him safe. 

What followed took things to another level.

Tony Vitello immediately used his manager’s challenge in an attempt to overturn the call, but Estabrook denied the replay, ruling that Adames had pushed Pasquantino off the bag.

The shortstop jumped up in disbelief, repeatedly saying he hadn’t pushed him. He even gestured with his finger that there was no pushing. The same emotion was echoed by the play-by-play announcer for the San Francisco Giants, Flemming, as he said:

“There was no push. Come on, man. But don’t start yelling at the Giants saying he pushed him when that was the play.”

The other broadcaster echoed the same sentiment. 

“And he might have had the timing of that tag just right,” he exclaimed.

The broadcasters’ frustration here makes sense, given that Mike Estabrook is known for his missed calls. He also has one of the highest numbers of overturned calls (49) this season. Earlier in March, the New York Yankees successfully challenged 5 calls from him. He also had 6 overturned calls on a single day during a Braves-Diamondbacks matchup. 

Replays of the specific play from the SF game showed that Pasquantino was safe when Adames tagged him, and it didn’t look like a push either. Regardless, it opened the floodgates for the Royals as they went on to make it 5-3 in the same inning. 

With that said, the denied challenge wasn’t the only instance of frustration caused by an official for the team.

Tony Vitello got ejected 

The Giants’ manager entered the field as soon as he realized that his challenge had been ruled out. He even saw the umpires discussing among themselves and hoped for a different ruling, but they ultimately stuck to Estabrook’s decision, and his challenge was denied.

The 47-year-old tried to argue, but to no avail. He eventually gave up and started walking toward the dugout, visibly frustrated. He was still saying something to the officials as he walked away, and Flemming could be heard saying:

“If I were Tony Vitello, I’d just be getting kicked out of the game because I’d lose my mind.”

And before he could even complete the sentence, plate umpire Lance Barrett tossed him out.

It was then that Dave Flemming couldn’t stop himself from expressing his frustration. 

“Oh, that is absurd. And now he is getting tossed out of the game. That’s just a complete and total failure by the umpires. Ridiculous,” he added. 

Vitello mentioned that he did not direct any expletives at the umpires. Yet it resulted in his third ejection of the season.

“I just asked if it could be corrected,” Vitello told the reporters during the postgame. “I don’t know what the response was, but I just said it was a big call. Twice, I said it was a big call.”

Whatever unfolded with Barrett didn’t sit too well with the broadcaster either.

“Lance Barrett acts like these players and managers are his children,” the broadcaster continued. “He talks to everybody like he’s their boss. He did it last night, and he’s doing it again today.”

The Giants were unhappy with a check-swing call on Tuesday, and Barrett wasn’t happy with the chirping from the Giants’ players. So he paused the game and told the Giants’ dugout to keep it down.

With that, the Giants suffered yet another defeat on Wednesday. It resulted in a series sweep, and the slide extended to 5 games. They are fourth in the NL West with a 42-60 record and little hope of making the postseason. They’ll look to turn things around during their upcoming homestand.