On Monday night, J.T. Realmuto saw a pitch well outside the zone. Rob Thomson saw a pitch well outside the zone. The fans saw a pitch well outside the zone. Everyone saw a pitch well outside the zone except for the umpire, who called it strike 3. The reaction among the fans was furious. The reaction from Rob Thomson, less so.
Some fans questioned why Thomson didn’t rush out of the dugout and make a fuss. It wouldn’t have undone the strikeout (we’ll need the automated ball-strike system for that), but there’s an argument to be made that it could’ve energized a team that was beginning to look a little lost.