UPDATE: The original version of the article said that Darren O’Day was on the Apple TV+ call. While the game was on Apple TV+, O’Day was calling the game on the radio for the Braves.
New York Yankees star Juan Soto has aggravated many pitchers over the years at the plate. But on Friday, he got under the skin of a former MLB pitcher turned color analyst after arguing with the strike zone of home plate umpire Mark Ripperger.
Soto was called out on strikes in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a picture-perfect slider from Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale.
Immediately, Soto was not happy with the call whatsoever, squatting down in disgust before approaching Ripperger to discuss his grievances with the called third strike.
Former All-Star pitcher turned Braves color analyst Darren O’Day was quite upset with Soto’s over-the-top frustration at the correctly called strike, ripping Soto on the broadcast for the act that he said “infuriated him”.
“Good pitch,” said O’Day as the pitch came in. “God that infuriates me watching Juan Soto complain to the umpire. It’s definitely a perfectly executed slider down and away. Go back to the dugout, look at it on the iPad and you struck out, fair and square. It’s the same strike zone for you. I’m done.”
Darren O'Day is not interested in seeing Juan Soto argue a strike 3 call.
"That infuriates me…It's definitely a perfectly executed slider down and away. Go back to the dugout, look at it on the iPad and you struck out, fair and square."pic.twitter.com/PneBa9unDR
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 22, 2024
As a former pitcher, it obviously makes sense why O’Day seemed to be so personally bothered by Soto arguing with the umpire over this call. Any pitcher would certainly be furious not to get a strike call on that pitch.
Simply put, it doesn’t get much better than that slider from Sale. And if Soto does indeed listen to O’Day’s advice and watch the pitch back on an iPad, he would see that it was absolutely the right call from Mark Ripperger.
