VIDEO: Reds' Nick Senzel Victimized by Horrible Strike Call Way Off the Plate by Mike Estabrook
By Sam Dunn
Whatever Nick Senzel did to deserve this, you've got to think he's really, really sorry. After all, what could possibly be the explanation for what happened Tuesday night when the Reds phenom stepped up to the plate against Padres pitcher Michel Baez? Watch how umpire Mike Estabrook calls this 2-0 pitch and try not to jump out a window.
"Oh my gosh. That was one of the worst calls I've seen." -Padres broadcast
— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) August 21, 2019
Umpire Mike Estabrook called a strike to @LilSenzii on a pitch that missed the strike zone by 5.99 inches. #Reds v #Padres pic.twitter.com/ojAe6vJUoY
That is... not great.
It's not great at all.
As you can see with any ol' naked eye, that ball was noticeably off the plate. The MLB stat nerds confirm that it was nearly a full half-foot off the plate, actually, and pretty much at the low boundary of the strike zone besides.
Hey, at least it wasn't an 0-2 pitch. Were that the case, Senzel might have retaliated in a manner that would earn him hard time behind bars.