PolarVortex
Better/Best
That is not what happened at all with Gilbert. Bottom of third, two outs, no score in the game, runners on second and third, two strikes on Wilyer Abreu: Gilbert threw a pitch that clearly, CLEARLY caught the bottom outside corner of the plate. Gilbert should have been out of the inning but the home plate ump called it a ball. Gilbert lost his cool after that. There's been a significant amount of hometown favoritism in the umpiring over the first two games, especially on check swings and close pitches.Someone in one of the YT "highlight" videos for our games led me to wonder the same thing, whether or not the batters were whiffing in protest until trades or other actions were done. Once they picked up Arozarena, they certainly turned things around, so I wouldn't doubt it.
Now Gilbert...I can't help but wonder if he was equally PO'd yesterday and doing the same thing after having to miss the All-Star Game and his scheduled start soon after that.