LA Dodgers fans infuriated with team's loss vs Cardinals following questionable strikeout call:  "Robotic strike zone can't come soon enough"

Mookie Betts playing against the Cardinals
Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gestures toward the dugout after hitting a single during the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.

Los Angeles Dodgers fans are quite rightly angry after their 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in dramatic fashion. Blatant strike calls in the top of the ninth inning by plate Paul Emmel led to LA being unable to complete an epic comeback.

The never-ending MLB umpire saga in the baseball world seemed to continue as more officiating errors took the limelight. In the ninth inning, the Dodgers had already scored two to make it a one run game. With 2 outs, Mookie Betts came to the box with Jason Heyward on second base for the tying run.

On a 3-2 pitch, a four seam fastball by Cardinals' Giovanny Gallegos was called a strike as Betts was caught looking. However the pitch seemed to land just outside the strikezone on the TV screens. With a runner in scoring position, and a hitter of Betts' calliber in the box in a one-run game, umpire Emmel's wrong call was bound to catch fire from the Dodgers fans with them asking for an automated strike calling system.

Already, talks of replacing MLB umpires with automated strike-calling systems are making the rounds. MLB has already tested 'robot umpires' and with increasing mistakes coming from senior umpires, the top brass might contemplate bringing in automated systems permanently.

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts calls out the umpire call after the game

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts didn't mince his words about Emmel in the post game interview. Roberts was clearly dejected as the call determined the final outcome of the game. A walk for Betts at that stage of the game would have put further pressure on the Cardinals.

"He missed it ..Everyone’s trying to compete, all of us. It’s unfortunate that that missed call determined the finality of that game. It was a great at-bat.”

The Dodgers would look to bounce back from this loss. Thankfully they have a safety cushion of 2.5 games at the top of the NL West standings.

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