Ump show: Get ready to learn expanded strike zone thanks to Doug Eddings
To be clear: The umpiring crew was not the reason the New York Yankees lost Game 3 of the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. New York starter Clarke Schmidt gave up three runs and four walks in just 2.2 innings of work, and Aaron Judge and the offense once again failed to get anything going in a 4-2 defeat. The Yankees have been making more than enough mistakes on their own to start worrying about anyone else's.
All that said ... well, the umpiring still wasn't great. One call in particular stood out: With two on, two out and Juan Soto looming on deck, home-plate ump Mark Carlson rung up Gleyber Torres on a pitch that appeared to be way high of the strike zone. There's no telling how Torres' at-bat would've ended, but it short-circuited what wound up being New York's last, best chance of turning the game around.
We have some good news and bad news in regards to Game 4. The good news is that Carlson won't be behind the plate. The bad news: That does not mean the strike zone will be getting any smaller.
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Game 4 umpire Doug Eddings is the most pitcher-friendly in baseball
Carlson is set to give way to Doug Eddings behind the plate, and if you thought the Game 3 strike zone was pitcher-friendly, you haven't seen anything yet. Per Sports Info Solutions, Eddings has the single largest strike zone of any umpire in the sport, extending it in every direction imaginable. Unsurprisingly, his K/BB ratio was also the highest in baseball this season.
For a Yankees offense that already felt like it was pressing with its back against the wall, an even larger strike zone certainly won't help. Although it is worth noting that both teams will (at least hopefully) get the same treatment, which could benefit Yankees starter Luis Gil: Gil has lights-out stuff but has struggled with his command all year long, and a couple inches off either corner could be a game-changer as he looks to keep his team's season alive.
Either way, one thing is for sure: Someone seems destined to be very, very mad by the time Game 4 is done.