Boston, MA – October 5, 2021 – Fenway Park: Nathan Eovaldi (17) of the Boston Red Sox during the 2021 American League Wild Card game.
(Photo by Allen Kee / ESPN Images)
Boston fans are crying foul after the 9-2 loss in Game 4 of the ALCS Tuesday.
Final word: Yes, it got ugly. Yes, putting Perez in was idiotic. Don’t care: If Diaz does his job, the Sox have a shot to walk it off in the 9th. None of the other stuff happens if a clear strike is called. That’s the story. Now I get to work through Game 5, b/c…MLB!
— Nick Cattles (@NickCRadio) October 20, 2021
Red Sox pitcher Nathan Eovaldi’s dropped a hammer curveball which Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro let go by. The ball caught the outside corner and according to ESPN.com, home plate umpire Laz Diaz never signaled the punchout that would have left the score tied at 2 heading into the home half of the inning.
“I thought it was a strike, but again, I’m in the moment. I’m trying to make my pitches,” Eovaldi said after the game. “I’m attacking the zone.
“I felt like I was in control of the at-bat. Felt like I made a good pitch on the outside corner. Didn’t go my way, but I got to answer back and make another good pitch.”
Nathan Eovaldi on missed strike three call: “I thought it was a strike… felt like I made a good pitch on the outside corner” pic.twitter.com/dSg2U4eUS9
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) October 20, 2021
Red Sox manager Alex Cora said he had not watched video of Diaz’s call before speaking with the media.
“I’m not going to get thrown out of this game, but we thought that pitch was a strike and he disagreed with us, but that’s a tough job,” Cora said. “I don’t think — yeah, it changes — if it’s a strike, it changes the whole thing, right, but I think we had chances early on.”
What do you think? Was it a strike?
