Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Brayan Bello struck out Aaron Judge in the first inning of Friday’s game against the New York Yankees. And, as New York broadcaster Paul O’Neill pointed out, Bello recorded the strikeout without throwing a single ball in the strike zone. Incredibly, the umpire’s calls were wrong, mainly on the second strike where the ball was below the allowed zone.
After Bello’s first pitch to Judge was called a ball, his next delivery appeared to be out of the zone. However, umpire Lance Barrett called it a strike to put the count at 1-1 where technology confirmed it was below the zone. However, on the next pitch Barrett again called a strike. Yankees commentator Michael Kay noted that Bello was pitching without much quality to Judge. O’Neill, however, did not quite agree that they were strikes.
Why was Aaron Judge called out on strikes?
Although Aaron Judge is a tall baseball player, his strike zone is very wide. However, for analysts, Barrett’s markings were out of place.“Both pitches in this count, in my opinion, are balls. He hasn’t thrown a strike in this count. But he’s been right around the corner and just below the strike zone. And Aaron Judge has two strikes against him,” said the acclaimed commentator.
O’Neill then told fellow analyst David Cone that Barrett’s strike zone was “pitcher-friendly,” an opinion that would not change after Bello’s next pitch. As mentioned, the second strike was below the box and put the count at 1-2 against Judge without throwing a single strike, he wisely continued with that strategy on his next pitch. While the 1-2 pitch to Judge appeared to hit the bottom of the strike zone, it also appeared to be well inside. Despite that, Barrett sang Strike 3.
Did Aaron Judge make a mistake by not swinging at any pitches?
There is certainly an argument to be made that hitters should protect themselves in a two-strike count, especially with a runner on base. That said, we can’t refute O’Neill’s opinion. Bello struck out Judge without throwing a single ball in the strike zone or forcing him to offer a single pitch. “You know what? That might have been an at-bat where no ball was in the strike zone,” O’Neill said.
However, it is notorious that within the New York Yankees there is a certain apathy. From errant throws to first base, distractions in the outfield with very catchable fly balls that incredibly end up as hits and undoubtedly the lack of persistence of the hitters to look for the timely hit. It has been mentioned that there is a divorce between the players and their manager Aaron Boone in the final stretch of the season where the Yankees are looking to secure their playoff entry via a wild card.
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