“This should be Angel Hernandez’s last game” - MLB analyst drops bold verdict after polarizing umpire's glaring strike call against Yankees
MLB umpire Angel Hernandez has been the topic of conversation since Sunday's game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. Although Hernandez is well known for making controversial calls behind the plate, he's receiving heavy backlash this time due to multiple questionable calls during Sunday’s game.
In the first inning, during a 3-2 count, Blue Jays' Bowden Francis appeared to step off the pitching rubber and moved back to deliver the pitch. Yankees’ Gleyber Torres stepped out of the batter’s box and wasn’t prepared for the pitch, but Angel Hernandez declared it a strike, catching Torres off guard.
The pitch thrown was high, and many believe that it shouldn’t have been called a strike by any measure. Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Gleyber Torres approached Hernandez to discuss the call.
The stadium was lit up with NSFW chants aimed at Hernandez. There were many reactions to his calls, with one also from Jon Heyman of the New York Post, who shared on X:
“This should be Angel Hernandez’s last game. Enough already.”
Angel Hernandez’s calls didn’t solely target the Yankees. Later in the game, a pitch from Blue Jays’ Tim Mayza to Oswaldo Cabrera, which was right down the middle, was called a ball by him.
The New York Yankees eventually won 8-3 against the Toronto Blue Jays, despite the controversial calls against them.
Giancarlo Stanton’s grand slam contributed to Yankees win
The New York Yankees' Sunday win marked their eighth victory in the 10 games of the season. A notable contribution came from Giancarlo Stanton, who smashed a powerful grand slam in the third inning.
Stanton hit a 417-foot home run against Blue Jays’ Bowden Francis, which gave the Yanks a 5-1 lead.
“It’s just a good spot, and you know it off the bat,” Giancarlo Stanton said (via CBS News).
The five-time All-Star was in a tough spot with no balls and two strikes but managed a 2-2 pitch at a speed of 110.6 mph. It was his 11th career grand slam and first since September 2022.