Umpire Blunders Amid Astros’ Victory Over Red Sox

Sometimes, even the best systems can’t catch every mistake. During the fifth inning of the Astros’ 9-2 win against the Red Sox, a notable error occurred involving home plate umpire Mark Wegner.

It all began when Boston’s Brayan Bello, who was battling against Astros’ Cam Smith, struck out the first two pitches. However, Wegner lost track of the count. After the third pitch, he mistakenly declared the count as one ball and two strikes. Smith ended up walking, which led to Bello being pulled from the game with a score of 6-1.

Wegner reflected on his error after the game, saying, “I watched the video. I thought it was 1-2, but for some reason, I didn’t count that second swing. It was actually strike three… I’ve never done that before. I’m not pleased with it. Just made a mistake.” When asked if anyone on the field had informed him of the mishap, he replied, “Nobody said anything.”

In another incident, Wegner mentioned that Astros’ left fielder Joey Loperfido suggested a strike when attempting to steal second base, yet he missed recording the second strike. Boston’s Christian Walker managed to score after the second baseman, Marcelo Mayer, failed to capture a throw from catcher Connor Wong. While Walker scored, Bello attempted to retrieve the ball to prevent Loperfido from advancing, but the ball simply hit his glove, allowing Loperfido to reach third base.

Reflecting on the confusion, Wegner said, “That must be true. That was a strike I wasn’t counting. After he swung, I mistakenly indicated a count of 1-2, and that was the third strike.”

With the introduction of automated balls and strikes in Major League Baseball, some umpires are still adjusting. Just the other day, the Yankees employed a successful ABS challenge and won against home plate umpire Mike Estabrook.

Wegner, however, has had a tumultuous relationship with the Yankees, notably ejecting manager Aaron Boone last May for discussing balls and strikes. There was another instance where Jazz Chisholm had to intervene with Wegner during a tense moment about a month ago.

This error between Wegner and the Red Sox feels like a rare sighting, given how infrequently these things happen these days. After the defeat, Boston found itself at 1-4, while the Astros improved to a record of 4-2.