During the ninth inning of Chicago’s loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday night, the Cubs sent pinch hitter Tony Kemp to the dish with a runner on first base.
With the Cubs trailing by two runs, Kemp worked the count to 1-2 against Philly closer Hector Neris before taking a called third strike from home plate ump Marty Foster.
The game ended with the Cubs losing 4-2 just a couple of batters later when Jason Heyward grounded out.
Afterward, many people were frustrated with Foster because the third strike on Kemp was clearly high and outside.
🤖
WTF is that call? pic.twitter.com/cYIEqvpeeE
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 14, 2019
If you think it didn’t look that bad, think again.
We're not sure what a strike is anymore…. pic.twitter.com/hFzbSybU50
— Cubs Talk (@NBCSCubs) August 14, 2019
Sorry, Marty Foster, pitch 5 was not strike 3. pic.twitter.com/uEBsjgqZwc
— Al Yellon (@bleedcubbieblue) August 14, 2019
According to @ESPNStatsInfo the strike 3 call on Kemp in the 9th inning had a 0.00 percent chance of being called a strike. (Based on history of that pitch)
— Jesse Rogers (@ESPNChiCubs) August 14, 2019
Following the game, the only one to defend Foster’s call was the guy who was victimized by it.
“(Umpire Marty Foster) said it was at the top of the (strike) zone,” Kemp said, according to The Chicago Tribune. “I’m not mad, I’m not upset. We’re all human. Everyone makes mistakes. It’s a tough situation, no matter which way you look at it. I wish he would have called it a ball. But no one is perfect.”
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