The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 6-4 in extra innings on Sunday night to complete the sweep. However, they did so with a bit of controversy.
With runners on first and third in the ninth inning in a tie game, Yankees second baseman Rougned Odor was called out on strikes on a full count, caught looking at strike three to send the game into extras.
The strike call was horrendous, as the ball sailed way off the plate. Words don't do it justice, so here's the video:
The umpire called strike three on this pitch to send Red Sox-Yankees to extra innings. pic.twitter.com/gNxVp4aixn
— ESPN (@espn) June 7, 2021
One bad call doesn't make a game, and the Yankees had multiple opportunities to extend their lead or win in extra innings. Still, there's no denying that the bad miss in a critical moment of the game could've changed the outcome.
Yankees coaches were understandably frustrated by the call. Third base coach Phil Nevin and bench coach Carlos Mendoza were both tossed for arguing with the home plate umpire.
Pinstripes manager Aaron Boone admitted after the game that he was very frustrated by the loss and didn't understand why his assistants were tossed, according to Sports Illustrated's Max Goodman.
"Obviously very frustrated. You saw some of that emotion spill over," Boone said. "That's just playing for a lot and obviously going through a really tough stretch and some of that emotion spilling over."
Sunday's win marked Boston's fourth straight. The Red Sox are now just one game behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first in the AL East, while the Yankees are fourth in the division behind the Toronto Blue Jays.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!