Cuz and effect: Giants 3, Phillies 1

An awful game by umpire Phil Cuzzi contributes to the Phillies’ loss

The Phillies rarely win games in Oracle Park, so it isn’t surprising that they fell to the Giants on Monday night. But what would normally be written off as another bad night by their offense and another bad game in San Francisco feels more galling because the home plate umpire had a hand in it. Phil Cuzzi’s indeterminate strike zone was a problem all night, but it was especially awful during a pivotal eighth inning at bat by Matt Chapman. Partly due to Cuzzi’s botched strike calls, the Phillies lost 3-1.

The loss was a waste of yet another marvelous pitching performance by Cristopher Sanchez. A day after he was somehow left off the National League All-Star team, Sanchez responded by pitching seven brilliant innings. He struck out eight and appeared to get stronger as the game went on.

The only damage came in the second when the Giants loaded the bases on a couple of well-placed singles and a walk. Sanchez almost got out of it, striking out the next batter and then coaxing a ground ball. The Phillies got the out at second, but Luis Matos beat out the relay throw, and the run counted.

The Phillies’ offense was not up to the standard set by Sanchez. Facing righthander Landen Roupp, they managed just four hits in the first five innings. Only one was for extra bases, and calling this double by Bryson Stott a hit was a very generous ruling by the scorer.

The Phillies took further advantage of the Giants’ defense. After Stott advanced to third on a groundout, he came home to tie the game on a wild pitch.

Trea Turner followed with a single, but any chance the Phillies had of adding to their run total was killed when Cuzzi made his first pivotal call, putting Bryce Harper down on a ball well out of the strike zone. (He’d go on to make two more bad strike calls against Harper in a later at bat.)

After Sanchez’s night was over, Orion Kerkering entered the game and immediately got himself into trouble by hitting a batter. The next batter was Matt Chapman, who should have been called out on strikes three times, but each time, Cuzzi decided that it was a ball. Naturally, he went on to single, putting runners at the corners.

Perhaps shaken by the baffling strike zone, Kerkering hit the next batter to load the bases. Had Chapman been ruled out, the ensuing ground ball by Casey Schmitt might have been an inning-ending double play. Instead, it was an RBI fielder’s choice that put the Giants up 2-1. The next batter hit a hard ground ball to Harper at first base, but Harper’s rushed throw couldn’t get the runner at home, and the Giants had a 3-1 lead.

The Phillies battled in the ninth. Max Kepler led off the inning with a walk, and J.T. Realmuto’s 13-pitch at bat ended with a line drive that Schmitt was just able to snag. But the drama ended when Stott hit a ground ball to first that resulted into an inning ending double play.

It was a disappointing start to the Phillies’ road trip, but they will have another chance to improve their awful record in Oracle Park tomorrow night. The good news is that Cuzzi will not be behind the plate and will have far fewer chances to botch important calls. (At least I hope so!)