Both the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres griped with home plate umpire Jim Reynolds over his strike zone during various points of Friday’s series opener at Petco Park. The most combative exchanged occurred in the seventh inning when Max Muncy pinch-hit for Clayton Kershaw.
The Dodgers had just tied the game on Austin Barnes’ solo home run, erasing a 3-0 deficit. Muncy took a borderline pitch at the knees for strike two, then was called out on strikes on a pitch that appeared to cross the plate at shins.
Muncy protested, appearing to tell Reynolds his called-strike two was correct but not strike three. As Muncy walked toward the dugout, Reynolds took off his mask, which prompted Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to come rushing out of the dugout.
Though frustrated, Muncy avoided an ejection and remained in the game at first base. His next plate appearance resulted in an infield RBI single to give the Dodgers a decided lead in the ninth inning.
Following their comeback win, Muncy explained his frustration and the importance of being able to move on from having words with Reynolds, via SportsNet LA:
“We just had a little disagreement on the bottom of the strike zone. He called what he called. Obviously I wasn’t happy about it but you can’t change it at that point so you have to just make sure you stay in the game, knowing that there’s going to be moves made and you can’t leave your team short-handed. So keep your cool in that moment and understand you’ll probably have an at-bat later in the game. … You have to have a very short memory because if you go up there carrying that, then you’re going to chase something that you’re not supposed to swing at especially against a guy like Yates who really pounds the bottom of the zone. You don’t really want to have that in your head, so you just forget about it.”
Muncy’s base hit capped off the Dodgers scoring four unanswered runs, with one each in the fifth, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. In addition to erasing a deficit, the Dodgers did so against a quality Padres bullpen.
Particularly Barnes and Muncy in the ninth inning. Barnes was in position to score after leading off with a double. Muncy’s RBI single was the first run Kirby Yates allowed since April 3, snapping a string of 12 consecutive scoreless innings over as many appearances.
Yates saved a career-high 14 of the Padres’ 17 wins during March and April, giving him the lead and the most in MLB history by any relief pitcher before May 1. He was rewarded by being named National League Reliever of the Month.
