MLB announcers call out umpire Phil Cuzzi: ‘looking at a different game’

In some cases, opposing announcers might have opposing takes on a controversial call. Sometimes, though, a call is so bad that it can’t be called controversial. That was the case in Friday night’s game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers, something announcers from both teams couldn’t help but observe.

The call in question came in the sixth inning, when Freddie Freeman came to the plate for the Dodgers with two outs and a runner on second base. Zac Gallen threw consecutive balls to set up a 2-1 pitch, which was well below the strike zone and also appeared to be outside. Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi disagreed, though, and called it a strike.

Steve Berthiaume, calling the game for the Diamondbacks, made no effort to mask how bad the call was.

“He gets a gift of a call from Phil Cuzzi, who’s — looking at a different game,” Diamondbacks announcer Steve Berthiaume said.

“Zac about to throw pitch No. 90 right here. And he gets a gift of a call from Phil Cuzzi, who’s – looking at a different game.”

Diamondbacks announcer Steve Berthiaume reacts as pitcher Zac Gallen gets a VERY pitcher-friendly call on a 2-1 pitch to Freddie Freeman. pic.twitter.com/kaNpvgK14I

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 30, 2025

“You saw the look of disgust on Freddie Freeman’s face,” Berthiaume added. “I don’t blame him.”

Naturally, Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser, calling the game for the Dodgers on Spectrum SportsNet LA, were similarly perplexed.

“Freeman takes,” Davis said. “Oh, my. 2-2.”

“That is a ball,” Hershiser added. “It might have been a strike for a long time and you try to make it a strike for a long time and it ends up as a ball. But you don’t expect the umpire to call it.”

Seeing the replay and how far the pitch missed, Hershiser added, “That’s gonna be some chart tonight.”

“That’s gonna be some chart tonight.”

Dodgers commentator Orel Hershiser reacts to the same pitch. pic.twitter.com/FgRdVCNuHJ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 30, 2025

Making the missed call more notable is that if Gallen was not completely pitching around Freeman, he was certainly pitching him carefully. Freeman fouled off the first pitch of the at-bat, but Gallen’s next two offerings were both well outside of the strike zone, setting up the 2-1 count. After getting the gift Strike 2 call, Gallen’s 2-2 and 3-2 pitches also both missed low and were both called balls.

But even though Cuzzi’s missed call here didn’t prove to be overly consequential to the outcome of the plate appearance, it was hard to ignore. And as Hershiser noted, Cuzzi’s chart will likely be less than kind.