The New York Yankees secured an 8-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, but the game was marred by contentious decisions from umpire Angel Hernandez.
The first contentious incident occurred in the first inning between Gleyber Torres and Bowden Francis. With a 3-2 count, Francis appeared to step off the rubber, then back on to deliver a pitch, catching Torres off guard. Despite the questionable legality of the pitch, Hernandez called it a strike, resulting in Torres being called out. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed his displeasure with Hernandez’s decision.
Torres faced another questionable call in the third inning when he was called out on a high breaking ball from Francis.
Despite these setbacks, the Yankees rallied in the third inning, scoring five runs. Giancarlo Stanton delivered a grand slam, redeeming himself after a contentious call earlier in the at-bat.
During the game, Yankees pitcher Luis Gil displayed frustration with Hernandez’s calls, although they were deemed correct. Hernandez also had a discussion with Gil during a routine check for sticky substances.
Not all of Hernandez’s calls favored the Yankees, as evidenced by a pitch from Tim Mayza to Oswaldo Cabrera that was called a ball despite being down the middle.
The controversial calls prompted strong reactions from fans on social media, including comments from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
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