KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – MAY 18: Manger Craig Counsell (C) of the Milwaukee Brewers talks with plate umpire Brian Gorman after Avisail Garcia #24 was ejected from the game for arguing a strike call in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on May 18, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Tuesday’s showdown between the Brewers and Royals ended in controversial fashion thanks to a terrible mistake from the umps.
We know you’ve heard this before this season, but MLB umps completely blew it late in a close game. This was the case in the Tuesday night showdown between the Kansas City Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.
In the top of the 9th, Avisail Garcia was at the dish trying to spark a comeback for his club. On a 2-1 count, Garcia held back on a swing. However, the first base ump said he actually went and called it a strike. Replay of the swing was crystal clear that the call was a mistake. The strike stood, though, and both Garcia and manager Craig Counsell were tossed for arguing. Unreal.
The umps messed things up in a horrible way for the Milwaukee Brewers against Kansas City
Brewers fans were incredibly upset and frustrated with this decision and no one can blame them. With Garcia ejected, lefty slugger Daniel Vogelbach came in, but swung and missed on the final pitch to secure the victory for the Royals.
It was truly a bizarre ending to things, but one that should have never gone down in the first place. With Milwaukee trailing 2-0, who knows if Garcia would have been able to make something happen for his team. However, thanks to the terrible mistake from the umpire crew, his opportunity of at least trying was taken away from him.
With his second strike coming on a 2-1 count, had the right call been made, he would have jumped out ahead 3-1. With a runner on first, the pressure would have been on Kansas City to not put something in Garcia’s wheelhouse. Now all Milwaukee fans can wonder about is what could have been. It’s just absurd.