Home plate umpire Phill Cuzzi did the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres no favors during Saturday’s game.
With only two full weeks remaining in the 2021 regular-season, the St. Louis Cardinals met the San Diego Padres, two teams battling for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. After the Cardinals took the first game of the series on Friday, Saturday’s contest presented itself as a true challenge for both the Cardinals and Padres.
The reason? Home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi’s strike zone, You can see what he was calling strikes in the video below, courtesy of Rob Friedman, aka “Pitching Ninja.”
Phil Cuzzi is terrible at his job.
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 19, 2021
I'd fire myself if I was this bad.
In fact, everyone on Twitter shared their disbelief at how wide Cuzzi’s strike zone truly was on Saturday night.
Twitter reacts to Phil Cuzzi’s awful strike zone during Saturday’s Cardinals-Padres game
This is arguably the worst called game of the year. Phil Cuzzi is changing this game at every pitch.
— Cardinal Metrics (@CardinalMetrics) September 19, 2021
Horrible. #STLFLY
Phil Cuzzi and Angel Hernandez trying to decide who the worst ump in the MLB is pic.twitter.com/mDsGdOfVdm
— Graham Bender (@GrahamBender_) September 19, 2021
Great work by Phil Cuzzi to get out of that jam
— Colin Garner (@colingarner22) September 19, 2021
Apparently, in Phil Cuzzi's world, the strike zone extends five inches beyond the plate.
— Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) September 19, 2021
Phil Cuzzi’s strike zone. pic.twitter.com/leWGUbMaLe
— Darnay Tripp (@DarnayTripp) September 19, 2021
Phil Cuzzi. MLB must be so proud. pic.twitter.com/mLbZG8JJHQ
— Jay Posner (@JayPosnerSD) September 19, 2021
Phil Cuzzi has struck out more Cardinals than Yu Darvish. https://t.co/95uci06npQ
— Cardinal70 (@C70) September 19, 2021
I'm not sure I want Phil Cuzzi calling Waino's 2000th strikeout.
— GB (@BondsGT) September 19, 2021
That shit may be 10 inches off the plate.
While Cardinals fans felt that Cuzzi was jobbing the team out of postseason contention, Padres manager Jayce Tingler did take exception to the umpire’s strike zone. Tingler was ejected in the top of the fifth inning by Cuzzi after shortstop Fernando Tatis was called out on a strike three call.
In a game he essentially said his team had to win, Jayce Tingler has been ejected.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) September 19, 2021
He was protesting a called third strike on Fernando Tatis Jr.
The strike zone is big for both pitchers.
In a must-win game for the Cardinals and Padres, both had to contend with a ridiculously large strike zone by Cuzzi.