Umpire Angel Hernandez has a difficult time getting his calls right on pitches low and away when he’s behind the plate. It’s no surprise he had another bad miss this weekend.
Hernandez was the home plate umpire for Sunday’s Houston Astros-New York Yankees game. Hector Neris was facing Isiah Kiner-Falefa with runners on the corners and two outs in the bottom of the eighth with the Astros leading 9-6. Neris threw a 2-2 splitter that looked like a strike, but Hernandez called it a ball.
ANGEL HERNANDEZ WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) August 6, 2023
Kiner-Falefa ended up working a walk to load the bases. Neris was removed after that. Harrison Bader followed with an RBI single to make it 9-7, but the Astros got Anthony Volpe out to end the inning. Houston won the game 9-7, so the call wasn’t too painful for the Astros, but it sure didn’t help.
Hernandez only recently returned from a back injury that had kept him out for the season. It hasn’t taken him long to do what he does best: miss calls.
