Twins Edge Mets In Extra Innings As Fans Debate Umpire Call
Twins Edge Mets In Extra Innings As Fans Debate Umpire Call...
The Minnesota Twins defeated the New York Mets 5-4 in a 10-inning thriller Wednesday night, but the game's controversial finish has baseball fans buzzing. A disputed strike call by home plate umpire Dan Iassogna in the bottom of the 9th extended the game, leading to Minnesota's walk-off victory in extras.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the 9th, Mets slugger Pete Alonso took a 3-2 pitch that appeared outside the zone but was called strike three. Replays showed the ball missed the plate by nearly two inches according to MLB's Statcast tracking. The call prevented what would have been a game-winning walk for New York.
The Twins capitalized in the 10th when Carlos Correa drove in the winning run with a single off Mets reliever Adam Ottavino. The victory moves Minnesota to 12-8 on the season while dropping the Mets to 9-11.
Social media erupted after the game, with #RoboUmps trending on Twitter as fans renewed calls for automated strike zones. Mets manager Buck Showalter was visibly frustrated during his postgame press conference but avoided criticizing the umpires directly. "Tough way to lose," Showalter told reporters. "We had our chances."
The game drew extra attention as the first meeting between the teams since their 2025 interleague series. Both clubs entered Wednesday riding three-game winning streaks, adding stakes to the matchup. MLB's new balanced schedule means the Twins and Mets will face each other six times this season.
Attendance at Target Field topped 28,000 despite chilly April conditions in Minneapolis. The crowd included a vocal contingent of Mets fans who made the trip from New York. Several were seen arguing with umpires as they left the field after the controversial call.
MLB has not commented on the specific call but continues testing automated ball-strike technology in minor leagues. The system could reach the majors as early as 2027. For now, human umpires remain part of baseball's drama - for better or worse.
The teams meet again Thursday afternoon in the series finale. Mets ace Kodai Senga faces Twins right-hander Joe Ryan in a matchup of early Cy Young candidates. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 PM CT.
