Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge should have been out twice during his at bat in the eighth inning Sunday night. With the Red Sox up a run, one down and two runners on base.
Boston first baseman Bobby Dalbec muffed a foul pop near the stands, a ball almost any little leaguer would have made with just a bit of help. But no one in the red sox dugout seemed to know the phrase “ You Got Room “
After two more foul balls, Judge was struck out on an Adam Ottavino 98-mph heater. He tipped the pitch, Christian Vazquez made the snow-cone squeeze , strike three you’re out. The ball didn’t move a hair until Vazz reached for the ball with his throwing hand, in a million to one shot it fell to the dirt on the transfer. Enter Joe West
Nope dropped , Vazquez was hung out to dry by the crustiest umpire in MLB History. Who just had to prove that he’s retiring a year too late.
“I felt like a cat,” Judge said. “I felt like I had nine lives up there.”
Adam Ottavino hung a slider to Judge on the next pitch and he wasn’t about to use up another life, drilling a liner to the left-center gap for a two-run double. The Yankees suddenly were up a run, Giancarlo Stanton came to the plate and promptly sent a ball out of Fenway. Sox Lose 6-3.
Joe West called this a foul ball instead of a foul-tip third strike that was dropped on the transfer. Not good.pic.twitter.com/iyFl2puSVJ — Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) September 27, 2021
The Moral of the story ?
No it doesn’t hold umpires accountable for every decision they make. ( but they should have gotten together to make that call right ) It’s to make sure you seize every opportunity you get. Dalbec makes that play and it’s a very different ballgame. Every pitch – every at bat – every play made or not made affects everything that happens next in this great game. And when you’re not a great team those lapses can and will come back to haunt you.
Alex Cora: “We didn’t get the job done. It’s very simple.” — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) September 27, 2021
The Sox still hold a wild card spot and have a three game set with the Orioles at Fenway South AKA Camden Yards starting tomorrow, then close out the season with a visit to Washington to finish this rollercoaster of a season against the Nationals. Are they strong enough to grab these next six games and squeeze them in their gloves? Or will they let a chance at October baseball fall to the dirt.