Dodgers: Dave Roberts Was Fed Up With the Umpiring on Sunday Morning
The Dodgers had an eventful day in Washington DC on Sunday morning. Not only did they have an unusually ordinary start to their final game of the series, but they also had a few close calls at the plate.
Los Angeles had 2 batters get plunked pretty hard in the batter’s box during their win. Austin Barnes got hit by a 94 mph from Joe Ross right in the helm in the 4th inning. Barnes didn’t really flinch at all and jogged down to first base.
Later in the game, Chris Taylor was called out on strikes on a more than questionable call. The Dodgers seemed pretty unhappy with the balls and strikes all day as the zone seemed to be moving. Doc let home plate umpire Mike Estabrook know that he wasn’t happy.
Dave Roberts is on one today and we're extremely here for it. ??? #Dodgers
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) July 4, 2021
Doc commented on the interaction after the game. He wasn’t too happy with so many of his guys getting hit AND the Nationals pitchers getting the benefit of a wide zone.
That was more of a pitcher that doesn’t have command. And I just felt that if you don’t have command, you can’t help a guy that’s firing the ball all over the place in the zone. CT works a great at-bat and I thought he expanded on the ball down and away. I just felt that you can’t give a guy off the plate if he can’t even command the baseball.
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Justin Turner also took a pitch off of his helmet in the 9th inning, just before CT took the called strike 3.
Be there for someone like Dave Roberts is there for Justin Turner ??? #Dodgers
— Doug McKain (@DMAC_LA) July 4, 2021
On a morning where the Dodgers didn’t get a whole lot of sleep, it’s understandable why Doc was fed up with the umpiring crew. We don’t often get to see Dave Roberts with so much fire in him, but he picked a good time for it on Sunday. Barnes and Turner were both fine after the game.
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It starts w/ Martinez being dissed by Doc for not having him and his staff on the all- star staff. Suero should not be pitching in the major leagues if he cannot command a fastball, he’s dangerous and could kill someone. He was pissed because Doc made the big noise on CT3’s called strikes, then he got hit for 2 consecutive hits, and then JT comes in to PH. He got pissed when JT called time to readjust his footing in the box and upset Suero’s rhythm so 1st pitch went for his head. He showed no remorse when JT went down, he knew what he was doing. Martinez brings another guy w/ no command and immediately plunks AJ up high again. Also, not to mention Barnes getting hit in the head w/ a fastball earlier. This was all because they were getting embarrassed @ home on the 4th of July weekend in Washington DC.
It’s about time Roberts got incensed about his players getting hit constantly as well as that horrific job many umpires are doing as far as calling balls and strikes is concerned.
I agree with you and DR on this one. Two guys hit the head is two too many. We already lost Seager for two months. And pitches to the head are totally different, and life-threatening. I would retaliate tomorrow with a pitch in the midsection of a Marlins hitter. The Dodgers are on the receiving end of HBPs way too often. And the strike zone was a moveable target all game long. Terrible job by the umpires.
never seen such calls on balls and strikes
Two of our guys get it in the head and the consequences to the Nats was…nothing. Somewhere up there Don Drysdale is shaking his head in disbelief. Had Big D been on the mound there would very, very, likely have been a message or two sent, hot, high and inside.
Yep. Don Drysdale or Bob Gibson would never let that slide. Somebody would have got plunked. And not the weak off speed pitch at the ankles.
Teams know that Roberts doesn’t retaliate !But at least he argue this time need to do it more often. We’re always getting robbed of strikes some umpires are haters and don’t belong in there cause they have to be neutral.