Angel Hernandez was not making friends with the Tigers on Thursday afternoon.
The oft-criticized MLB umpire was at the center of a controversial call during the Mets’ 6-3, extra-innings loss to the Tigers in the first game of a doubleheader, and neither Detroit nor the Bally Sports announcers seemed to agree with his call of a play in the 11th inning.
With Spencer Torkelson at the plate and the Tigers already pushing three runs across the plate during the second extra inning, and Detroit still with the bases loaded, the slugger took a pitch inside that appeared to either hit his bat or potentially his pinky finger.
Hernandez, who was calling balls and strikes behind home plate, immediately put his hands up to call it a dead ball on a foul tip.
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch wanted to challenge the call, and after three of the field umpires converged, it appeared as if the skipper was told he could not challenge whether Torkelson had been hit by the up-and-in pitch from Michael Tonkin.
That’s because, as SNY’s feed captured from the audio down on the field, that Hernandez ruled Torkelson had in fact swung the bat, and teams can not challenge a call once a swing has been ruled.
“I got him on the swing, 1-2,” Hernandez could be heard explaining toward the Mets’ dugout.
Hinch appeared to be perturbed, especially because it appeared that Torkelson came nowhere near swinging the bat.
Hernandez, who made headlines when ejected Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn out of a spring training game this year for arguing balls and strikes, seemed to completely stun the Tigers’ broadcast.
“He’s saying that’s a strike?” Tigers play-by-play man Jason Benetti said after Hernandez determined the call would stand as a foul tip on the swing.
“Yes, he’s saying he swung, and that’s why he called it a strike,” analyst Craig Monroe chimed in.
“He didn’t swing … that is wild,” Benetti replied.”
“Unbelievable,” Monroe concluded.
Torkelson grounded out on the next pitch, ending the threat, though Detroit still pulled off the win.
The Mets bounced back with a 2-1 win in the nightcap.
