The Los Angeles Dodgersâ struggles continued Wednesday with a 6-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels. It was the fourth straight loss and sixth in the last nine games for the defending World Series champions, who fell out of first place in the NL West in the process.
Frustrations were evident throughout the game, and not just in the dugout.
Veteran umpire C.B. Bucknor once again caused a stir for a series of controversial calls, starting with the very first at-bat. And the Dodgers broadcast team let Bucknor have it.
âBall. Excuse me, strike out,â Stephen Nelson said after Bucknor called a low pitch from right-hander Kyle Hendricks a strike on leadoff hitter Shohei Ohtani.
Eric Karros then chimed in sarcastically: âYouâre going to have to wait tonight. Weâve got a veteran umpire behind that plate that is a veteran umpire.â
Bucknor missed the next pitch as well, incorrectly calling another strike on Ohtani to even the count. That led to more ribbing from the broadcast booth.
âGeez, alright, 2-and-2,â Nelson said.
âI mean, itâs ball four, right?â Karros asked rhetorically.
âYeah, itâs a four-pitch leadoff walk,â Nelson said.
If itâs any consolation for the Dodgers, Ohtani tripled two pitches later.
Why Was C.B. Bucknor Criticized?
Bucknor had a rough night behind the plate. According to UmpScorecards, Bucknor called just 90% of balls and strikes accurately, 1.2% below the average rate for MLB umpires this season.
Bucknorâs called ball accuracy was 92%, with 11 of 137 balls called incorrectly. His called strike accuracy was 84%, with eight of 50 strikes called incorrectly.
Nelson also criticized Bucknor to end the bottom of the first inning when third baseman Alex Freeland was punched out on a 3-2 pitch off the plate with two runners on.
âBall four for the strikeout,â Nelson said.
Which Team Leads the NL West?
The Angelsâ win ensured a sweep of the season series against their crosstown rivals as the Dodgers fell to 68-53.
The Dodgers also lost their hold on the division, as the San Diego Padres â who trailed by as many as 8.5 games on July 2 â now lead the NL West by one game. This marks the first time the Padres (69-52) have held sole possession of first place since September 25, 2010.
The Dodgers and Padres begin a three-game series in Los Angeles on Friday.
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