Washington Nationals reliever Tanner Rainey appeared to strikeout Houston Astros hitter Michael Brantley with a pitch on the bottom corner. However, home plate umpire Lance Barksdale blatantly missed the easy strike 3 call, blaming Nationals catcher Yan Gomes for moving.
Gomes replied “Oh, it’s my fault?”
Nationals manager Dave Martinez was visbily upset, screaming at Barksdale “Wake up, it’s the World Series!”
Robot umpires cannot come soon enough to Major League Baseball. Long before criticism of other sports officials, baseball umpires have made the sports about them. Even in a pivotal Game 5 of the World Series.
Fortunately for the Nationals, Barksdale’s blunder didn’t hurt them as Brantley flied out for the first out of inning.
