Sometimes, the way that announcers talk about a questionable call from an umpire or referee will depend on which team they’re doing the announcing for. But during Friday night’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants, that wasn’t the case.
Neither booth could make any sense out of a call from home plate umpire Edwin Jimenez.
Michael Conforto led the bottom of the fifth inning off for the Giants. After falling behind 0-2, Conforto took the third offering from Landon Knack, a changeup that was well above the strike zone. While the pitch seemed like an obvious ball, Jimenez saw it differently and called Conforto out.
Calling the game for the Giants on NBC Sports Bay Area, Dave Flemming was largely diplomatic. “Wow. Called Strike 3,” he said.
Upon seeing the replay, analyst Mike Krukow was more critical.
“That’s a ball. By a lot,” Krukow said.
“That’s a ball. By a lot.” pic.twitter.com/drOYn64jPm
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 29, 2024
While the Dodgers benefited from the bad call, there was no sugarcoating the bad call in the visiting booth.
Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser, calling the game for Spectrum SportsNet LA, were even more pointed in their commentary.
“Oh, my gosh. He gets Strike 3 on a changeup on a pitch that was letter high,” Davis said.
As Davis mentioned that it was Knack’s seventh strikeout of the game, he saw a replay and could only chuckle while adding, “Oh, no.”
Joe Davis: Oh, my gosh. He gets strike 3 on a changeup. On a pitch that was letter high. Oh no.
Orel Hershiser: Umpiring grade is not gonna be good.
Dodgers announcers were no kinder to umpire Edwin Jimenez on this call. pic.twitter.com/Hv60dmU47s
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 29, 2024
“Umpiring grade is not gonna be good,” Hershiser added.
[Photo Credit: NBC Sports Bay Area]
