Bad umpiring before Diamondbacks walk off Phillies, a breakdown
What Happened
In a crucial Game 3 of the National League Championship Series, the Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies are locked in a tight pitchers' duel, with the game tied at one run apiece as the bottom of the ninth inning begins. Chicago Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel takes the mound for the Phillies, looking to keep the game tied and send it to extra innings. The first pitch he delivers is a borderline call that goes in the Diamondbacks' favor, and Phillies fans are already frustrated with the umpiring. The inning continues with several close pitches that go the Diamondbacks' way, further angering the Phillies dugout. Kimbrel issues a walk to load the bases with no outs, and Diamondbacks baserunners begin aggressively stealing bases, putting the Phillies defense on its heels. As the tension builds, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll singles to bring home the winning run, sparking wild celebrations from the Arizona players and fans. "That one made me audibly go 95," comments the analyst, as Carroll's soft single drops in front of the Philadelphia infielders playing in to try and cut off the run at the plate. Phillies shortstop Trea Turner makes a strong throw home, but the runner is ruled safe, much to the dismay of the Phillies dugout. With the bases still loaded, Kimbrel battles Diamondbacks outfielder Ketel Marte, who says he's "looking fastball" as the at-bat reaches a climax. Marte then delivers the game-winning single, sending the Diamondbacks spilling out of the dugout in jubilation. "Marte says, chase me down, chase me down," the analyst notes, as the Diamondbacks mob their hero at home plate. Pitcher Noe Ramirez joins the celebration, ball in hand, as the Diamondbacks secure a crucial victory in the series. "Thanks, DraftKings for sponsoring ," the analyst concludes. "And thank you to the umpires for making it interesting, and to the D-backs for having good at-bats and putting the ball in play.".
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentLet's recap the eventful bottom of the ninth inning game three National League Championship
Series. This breakdown is brought to you by DraftKings. You got Kimbrel in looking to keep
the game tied at one run apiece, bottom of the ninth and send it to extras. And the first pitch
is kind of a doozy because that's a strike, but it does not get called a strike. One of many pitches
Phillies fans, I'm guessing, feel didn't go their way. But the very inning before a pitch at that
same height was thrown by Seawald of the D-backs and also was not called a strike. Now both missed
pitches for the strike zone and the Phillies did get one called a little higher on them when Marsh
was up earlier in the game. That 92 got called a strike.
The 97 a ball. So the inning just doesn't start that well because that's a strike. One and O,
next pitch, yanks a fastball. Okay, fastball up top. Three and O gets the call there. 96,
nice pitch on the bottom. 96 in the zone. Three, two, 96. These pitches, I thought both those
pitches were going to get smashed. I mean, three, two, you're looking for a pitch in the zone. 96,
but it's right there, I thought.
And then the next one again, those are pitches he just missed. Anyway, three, two again, low. They
want strike three. They get ball four. Kimbrell's like, are you sure? So another pitch he doesn't
like. When you compare it to the three O pitch that was called a strike at the bottom of the zone,
they are different. So if that's the umpire's line there and that's the graphic on the screen,
which doesn't hold any really weight, that's kind of nonsense. It was, it was just not nonsense,
just a kind of a guide.
It was different than the one that was called a strike. And all the low pitches from this game
that I could find that were similar were all called balls. So that one I think is a ball and
called consistently and correctly. But now you got to run around first. He's taking off steals on
the pitcher inside fastball. Real Moodle can't do anything with that. Oh, slider and another
fastball right down the middle and just kind of put in play. Stopped by Stott, but can't get an
out. And that's another.
Fastball. I know it's 97, but like you think they'd be sitting fastball middle of the zone
and getting better wood on it, but they're not. So they're excited. Let's go.
Kimbrel deep breath. Yeah. Deep backs. They're excited. Another pitch. That one made me audibly
go 95. It's looking like he wants to swing big and just doesn't connect on it. But when,
oh, and they stole again. Okay. So that makes the double plays out. Not that they were going to
turn.
Anyway, the infields in to stop the run from scoring at home. Next pitch. Another fastball
that gets a ton of the plate slider away. No, he did not go. Says the umpire who was not watching.
Really? Kimbrel's like, really? Cause, uh, that's a swing. He connects. That's probably
over our infielders head. Cause they're playing in. Honestly, if he connects with that ball,
that's like blooping over the infielders head. Uh, just a bad call. And you're hoping, oh boy,
you're hoping that doesn't, you know, become the storyline that luckily Trey Turner stops the
ball fires home. They make the play and he's out. Okay. Look at Turner. Ready to go. Backhand comes
up fires. I think he tagged him there, but they let it play out, but I think he gets his Jersey
right there. Uh, so he's out, but then they let him scamper around, have their fun. Cause that's
always look at the camera angle. We get everyone. Oh, and he gets them again. So double out two
outs for the purple hair.
Slider inside. Now, Kimbrel's throwing his slider way more fastball up. Where'd it go? I don't know.
I don't know. You got it. Boom. You got it. No out of play, but strike now the slider again,
slider, fastball slider. And he got him swinging on that slider and then tries to get him swinging
again. He does not tries to get him swinging again, does not. And he loses them in the process
of getting him in the chase, the slider. He lost him up steps could tell Marte who's been awesome.
And this woman,
she believes in her boy specifically, not much else, but she believes in her boys. Bases are
loaded. Could tell Marte's up. He said, he's looking fastball. He gets a fastball inside,
takes it. Now, what are you going to do? You're going to play off that slider. Cause it was
looking decent. The at bat before, but no one flinched on it. So he's like, nah, I'm going to
go fastball. It's up. I don't think he wanted it up. Could tell Marte puts it in play, walk off
single. That's not where I don't think that's not.
I think he wanted it. And it's not even a terrible pitch. It'd be like a waste pitch,
but Marte was like, I'm not taking another fastball. I took that first one. I want to take
another one. They're hopping off the bench in Arizona. If they lost that game, it would have
been damaging. It would not have been a series and said they win the game. It's a series. Marte
says, chase me down, chase me down. Perdomo stutter steps. Okay, fine. Okay. You got me
now. Let's hug a gallon. I love that gallons got a ball in his hand. Look at that. Just so what a
pitcher just always tinkering.
Always working. Let's go snakes alive. Thanks. DraftKings for sponsoring this breakdown. Thank
you to the umpires for making it interesting. And thank you to the D backs for, for having
good at bats and putting the ball in play. Thank you. DraftKings for sponsoring the breakdown.