The New York Yankees’ tight win over the Kansas City Royals left more than one controversy on Saturday night. With the ticket to the AL Championship Series at stake, the pressure was at its maximum all night, but the drama peaked in the Royals’ penultimate at-bat.
With the score 6-5 in favor of the Yankees and only one out in the count, Bobby Witt Jr. stepped into the batter’s box as one of the Royals’ last hopes of turning the score around. Witt faced Yankees star closer Luke Weaver.
As with the entire game, the battle between Witt and Weaver was intense. After seven pitches, the pitcher had his rival on the ropes. The Yankees dugout kept yelling at plate umpire Adam Hamari, who had already warned them to remain quiet.
With the count full, Witt let a 96 mph fastball from Weaver go by, as it appeared to sail just below the strike zone. Certain he had been walked, the Royals star dropped his bat and was heading to first when Hamari called a strike, leaving him out.
No one was pleased with the umpire’s work
Witt–one of the top contenders for the American League MVP, along with the Yankees’ Aaron Judge–turned to the umpire and had a brief yet intense exchange with him. Although there is no record of what he said, the batter did not look happy.
That second-to-last at-bat for the Royals was fraught with controversy. A few pitches earlier, Weaver threw an 89 mph changeup that looked above the strike zone, and Hamari called a ball. The Yankees dugout erupted in protests, and the umpire reversed his decision.
That’s when Hamari’s warning came, and Yankees manager Aaron Booneasked his players to be quiet.
After Witt’s strikeout, Weaver got the final out by forcing Vinnie Pasquantino to hit a grounder to first, making the final score 6-5 and putting the series 1-0 heading into the second game of the series at Yankee Stadium.
Read the full article here
