VIDEO: Brett Gardner Strikes Out Looking on Terrible Call From Marvin Hudson to End the Inning
By Karl Rasmussen
Well, don't be surprised if you hear Brett Gardner smashing his bat on the roof of the Yankees dugout tonight folks. With two runners on and two outs in the inning, Gardner was called out on strikes on a pitch well outside the zone by home plate umpire Marvin Hudson. Gardner was not happy one bit with the call, and he genuinely has a case as the pitch was clearly outside of the zone.
Josh James got the benefit of the doubt from Hudson, who had previously called a strike on a pitch to Gardner that appeared to run inside on the lefty.
Gardner was livid with the call, especially given that he was already being squeezed on the inside. How can you expect him to swing at a pitch a few inches outside after that?
James' strikeout got the Astros out of what could have been a disastrous inning, and if the Yankees fail to get after the rest of Houston's relievers, they'll be looking at that missed call which ended their second-inning rally.
The bullpen game hasn't gone to plan for the Yankees, as Chad Green surrendered a three-run jack to Yuli Gurriel in the first inning. The Yanks were hoping to claw back in, but Gardner's at-bat was unjustly put to an end.