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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
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Tim Capurso

Mics Perfectly Caught MLB Umpire Yelling Seven-Word Retort at Astros Dugout

Home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi didn't want to hear it from the Astros dugout. | Screengrab Twitter @MLBONFOX

Every so often, sports fans are reminded of just how entertaining hot mics are during sports games.

Fox's nationally-televised broadcast of the Houston Astros' 5-4 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday served as one such reminder, as the mics briefly gave fans a fly-on-the-wall experience for an exchange between home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi and the Astros dugout.

It was the top of the eighth inning with two outs, Astros righthander Bryan Abreu on the mound and Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien at the plate. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Abreu threw a four-seam fastball in on the hands that appeared to catch the inner half of the plate. Semien checked his swing and Astros catcher Yainier Diaz appealed to first-base umpire Clint Vodrak, who ruled that Semien didn't swing, a somewhat controversial call.

The Astros certainly didn't agree and let home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi know it. But Cuzzi, who was uninvolved with the call, didn't want to hear it.

"What are you yelling at me for?!" Cuzzi loudly asked the Astros dugout. The veteran umpire then appeared to indicate that the Astros should be directing their complaints to Vondrak, who made the call. We're sure Vondrak appreciated that!

In all seriousness though, as the broadcast went on to point out, the Astros' gripe with Cuzzi was that he didn't initially rule the borderline pitch a strike, putting the call in Vondrak's hands. Had Cuzzi ruled the pitch a strike, there would be no need for the check swing appeal.

Semien went on to belt a solo homer two pitches after the controversial first pitch of the at-bat, but the Astros ultimately prevailed in 11 innings.

Hooray for hot mics!


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mics Perfectly Caught MLB Umpire Yelling Seven-Word Retort at Astros Dugout.

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