If you happened to watch Thursday's between the Blue Jays and Red Sox, you might have noticed issues with the strike zone. So did the Blue Jays. Both teams seemed to take umbrage with home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez's inconsistent calls.
While calls went for and against both teams all game, there were a couple of key moments that proved crucial. With a 3-0 count on Blue Jays left fielder Davis Schneider, Gonzalez called strikes on consecutive pitches that were well out of the strike zone and up near Schneider's chest. Although he finally worked a walk, the Blue Jays dugout was livid.
Then, in the tenth inning with two on and one out and Nick Sandlin on the mound for the Jays, Gonzalez missed a call that appeared to graze the outside of the zone for what should have strike three. Instead it was ball three and Sandlin hit Kristian Campbell with the following pitch and then the Red Sox walked it off on the next pitch.
This is not the first time the Blue Jays have had their issues with Gonzalez. In August of last year, Gonzalez was behind the plate when George Springer said he was hit by a pitch. After a video review upheld Gonzalez's non-call, both Schneider and an animated Springer were tossed from the game.
While Schneider and pitching coach Pete Walker did a fair bit of chirping from the dugout, nothing escalated and nobody was tossed.