Umpires Gave Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez an Extra Strike and He Immediately Homered

The Rockies were furious.

Teoscar Hernandez checks his swing on what should have been the final pitch of Dodgers - Rockies. /

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 11-9 on Tuesday night. Anyone who left the game early with the Rockies taking a five-run lead into the ninth inning probably spent some time sitting in their cars swearing. Dodgers fans would have been upset they missed an incredible comeback while Rockies fans would have just been upset.

The Dodgers began their comeback with a Jason Heyward grand slam to make it a one-run game with one out. Following a pitching change Shohei Ohtani singled, Will Smith struck out for the second out of the inning and Freddie Freeman was intentionally walked so Victor Vodnik could face Teoscar Hernandez.

On a 1-2 pitch Vodnik threw Hernandez a high fastball that he really wanted to swing at. In fact, he started to swing before stopping himself. First base umpire Lance Barksdale ruled that he did not go around, saving Hernandez from striking out. The Rockies really hated the call and their worst fears were immediately confirmed. Instead of the game being over Hernandez got one more pitch and hit a go-ahead three-run home run.

Down to their final strike and down by 1, umpire Lance Barksdale gifted the Dodgers a second life with an incorrect check swing call.

The very next pitch, Teoscar Hernández hit a go ahead 3 run HR.

Dodgers won 11-9. pic.twitter.com/1gQISU4QT4

— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) June 19, 2024

If you'd like to see an emotional avatar of Rockies fans after that home run, look no further than right fielder Jake Cave who was visibly furious. He discussed his freakout in the locker room after the game.

#Rockies Jake Cave on the check-swing call by first base umpire Lance Barksdale that impacted the final score:

“I kind of lost my mind on him. Got a little more mad when he told me it wasn’t close because then you’re not taking any accountability for screwing us over.” pic.twitter.com/6tmc9V86hI

— Patrick Lyons (@PatrickDLyons) June 19, 2024

"That game's won on that swing," Cave said. "That's a swing and a miss and the game's won and we beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. So yeah I'm pissed. I kind of lost my mind on him a little bit. Got a little more mad when he looked at me and told me it wasn't even close because then you're not even taking any accountability for you know, basically, you know screwing us over. So yeah I was pretty pissed. Still pretty pissed. I think everybody is."

It's an almost unbelievable way to lose, but when you combine the Dodgers lineup and that Colorado air it starts to make sense. Throw in some help from the umpires and the unbelievable seems inevitable.

Or maybe there's a higher power stepping in after the Dodgers lost Mookie Betts for a prolonged period of time. We know Grimace is tied up with the New York Mets, but it could be any other fast food deity watching over the Dodgers in these trying times. If they have to anger the Rockies in the process, so be it.