Well before the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres began their game on Friday, both teams knew that the strike zone of home plate umpire Lance Barrett would likely be bigger than normal. That said, a call made in the bottom of the sixth inning raised some eyebrows.
With the Padres leading 6-2, San Francisco’s Thairo Estrada came to the plate with one out and two runners on. San Diego’s Michael Wacha got ahead 1-2 in the count. While conventional wisdom is that hitters need to expand their zones in two-strike counts, Wacha’s 1-2 pitch was potentially inside and was easily low. So, Estrada seemed safe in taking the pitch.
Only, Barrett didn’t agree. He rang Estrada up.
Umpire Lance Barrett with a questionable (to say the least) Strike 3 call on Thairo Estrada. pic.twitter.com/3Bp0Y1RUOv
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) September 2, 2023
As would be expected, San Francisco’s announcers, Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow were highly critical of the call. Their counterparts in the San Diego booth, Don Orsillo and Mark Sweeney, were just as hard on it.
"Most the gifts we've seen tonight have been up and away, but they've been scratching the strike zone. This thing was down and in and it wasn't close. Just a bad call. At a bad time." https://t.co/SnSV731g7U
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 2, 2023
Padres TV guys were amazed as well.
“Wowwwww!” said Mark Sweeney.
“Estrada’s got some stuff to say (to Barrett) and can’t blame him,” said Don Orsillo. https://t.co/k6XklN302S
— Jay Posner (@JayPosnerSD) September 2, 2023
The frustration wasn’t limited to the announcers, though. Baseball fans have grown less patient in regards to shaky calls from umpires — especially the still non-reviewable balls and strikes calls — in recent seasons.
This was no different, as baseball fans made their displeasure about the call known.
Good lord. https://t.co/U1ZrsXLVcy
— Matt Clapp (@TheBlogfines) September 2, 2023
Welcome to the Lance Barrett Clown Show. Started on first pitch of game and hasn’t let up much. pic.twitter.com/3QSjG2P7qk
— Jay Posner (@JayPosnerSD) September 2, 2023
Are the Guinness World Records folks at Petco Park tonight? Because I think Lance Barrett is trying to set the record for the largest-ever strike zone.
— Daniel Rathman (@DanielRathman) September 2, 2023
What a joke Lance Barrett is. Retire already.
— Einar Vollset 🇳🇴🇺🇸 (@einarvollset) September 2, 2023
At the very least, calls like this will continue to make the clamoring for the Automatic Balls and Strikes challenge system used at different levels of the minor leagues even louder.
[Photo Credit: KNTV]
