The Los Angeles Dodgers were the victims of three questionable strikeout calls during their 3-2 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers faced off against the Chicago Cubs in their series finale on Sunday afternoon. The Cubs took the first game on Friday by the score of 8-2, while the Dodgers secured a 2-1 victory on Saturday night on a walk-off, two-run single by David Peralta. For the Dodgers, they were caught in another close game, but ended up on the losing end, falling 3-2. Unfortunately for them, there was some controversy.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Peralta, Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman were all called out on strikes by home plate umpire Sean Barber. That allowed relieve Brad Boxberger to clinch the win for the Cubs and earn the save. But the thing is, all three of those called strikes were actually outside of the zone, which you could see on the broadcast.
Dodgers just got absolutely hosed by home plate umpire Sean Barber
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) April 16, 2023
He called three strikeouts that were all clearly balls
The Dodgers offense lost them that game, but that is inexcusable from a Major League umpire pic.twitter.com/3kKVsmJfqP
Dodgers screwed over by 3 awful strikeout calls in loss to Cubs
That won’t make any team or their fanbase feel any better about the loss when they see that those calls contributed to it. Especially when Freeman had the game-tying run at first base in Mookie Betts.
Let’s take a look at some of the reactions on social media about Barber’s pivotal strikeout calls.
Home plate umpire Sean Barber called all three of these Dodger hitters out on strikes that were not strikes in the bottom of the ninth to end the game. Next level bad. pic.twitter.com/NGgICDqOfA
— Molly Knight (@molly_knight) April 16, 2023
Sean Barber butchered the bottom of the ninth.
— Jon Weisman (@jonweisman) April 16, 2023
Tremendous job by home plate umpire Sean Barber in the ninth inning today in the Cubs-Dodgers game: pic.twitter.com/UghC4p6yAl
— Jeff Erickson (@Jeff_Erickson) April 16, 2023
The offical scorer in the Dodgers/Cubs should give Sean Barber the save in that one.
— Max Gaines (@MaxGainesBrand) April 16, 2023
Here’s hoping Sean Barber is not the home plate umpire for another baseball game in this millennia.
— Russell Varner (@rvarner) April 16, 2023
That bottom of the ninth was a damn embarrassment.
sean barber should be sent down to triple AAA after his performance today in Los Angeles https://t.co/FSTS1Whcv1
— jumbo dong lover (@QBWinsRnotAstat) April 16, 2023
While the way they loss is bad, at least it didn’t happen in a pivotal game with postseason implications. That would have made it that much worst. But, the Dodgers still find themselves one game back of first place in the NL West with an 8-8 record.
The Dodgers will face the New York Mets in a three-game series before going to Chicago to face the Cubs again in a four-game set.