Notorious MLB umpire Angel Hernandez made a horrendous check swing call that nearly cost the Dodgers a win against the Marlins.
More often than not, when Angel Hernandez is trending on Twitter it’s because he made some horrendous calls as a home plate umpire.
On Monday, he made sure baseball fans have a reason to hate him when he’s a first base umpire as well.
The Dodgers had Chris Martin on the mound facing Marlins catcher Jacob Stallings in the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs, the bases loaded and a one-run lead.
It was potentially the most pivotal at-bat of the game and Hernandez almost ruined it for LA.
MLB umpire Angel Hernandez blew easy checked swing call for Dodgers
Down to his last strike, Stallings tried to check a swing on a ball but he very clearly went over. Literally, anyone with eyes could see it, except for Hernandez, who ruled it a ball and kept the at-bat alive.
Hernandez was lucky LA eventually got the out when Stallings popped up a foul ball to end the game. Otherwise, his call could have impacted the outcome of the game. It wouldn’t be the first time, and so long as MLB continues to employ him, it wouldn’t be the last time either.
Even though the Dodgers have a 20-game lead over the Padres in the NL West, it’s scary to think how easily games can be impacted by subpar officiating.
The Dodgers ultimately came away with a 3-2 victory over the Marlins. Cody Bellinger scored the winning run on a Freddie Freeman ground out in the top of the 10th.
Los Angeles will head to New York to face the Mets after taking the series against Miami, 3-1. The Marlins will move on to host the Rays.