Tigers outfielder Robbie Grossman against the Yankees. (Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
The Yankees got the short end of the stick when the umpire called a ball on what looked like the game-ending strike before the Tigers walk-off winner.
The Detroit Tigers took the first game in their series against the New York Yankees because of a walk-off home run from Robbie Grossman. But did they deserve the victory?
New York might have something to say about that since the 2-2 pitch right before the winning swing was called a ball when it looked like a strike.
Justin Wilson came this close to ending the game. Instead, he picked up a loss.
That’s definitely a tough call. It’s on the edge of the strike zone and could have been called. If it had been, the game would have been over and the Yankees would have gotten the win.
Was it the worst call an umpire has produced this season? Not even close.
New York can’t linger on a blown call against the Tigers
The fact that there are calls that close in just about every game may not ease the hurt of Yankees fans. However, in this case, it’s probably not something to dwell on for too long.
It wasn’t the only umpire screw-up in the game. The Yankees benefited in the sixth inning when Gio Urshela was allowed to draw a walk with only three balls thrown. While he took an unearned base, the incident didn’t directly impact the outcome as the Yankees didn’t score.
New York needs to regroup and look to get back on track in the next game coming up on Saturday. They’re now 2.5 games behind the Boston Red Sox and sit third in the AL East.
As much as that blown call hurts, it wouldn’t have been an issue if the Yankees got more out of their lineup. In his first game back from a quad injury, Giancarlo Stanton went 0-of-5 with four strikeouts.