WASHINGTON D.C. -- Patrick Corbin worked his way into the Cy Young Award race last season in part because he got to face the Giants so often. Corbin started against a bad Giants lineup six times in his final season with the Diamondbacks, posting a 2.27 ERA.
Corbin is one of the last guys who needs a bit of help when facing the Giants. They felt he got plenty of it, anyway.
Bruce Bochy and Brandon Belt were ejected after separate plate appearances in the middle innings, both of which ended with Belt striking out looking on pitches off the outer edge. Belt was calm and diplomatic after a 4-2 loss, saying all he wanted was a fair chance, and for home plate umpire Ryan Additon to make an adjustment. Additon is relatively new to the big leagues.
"As big leaguers, we make adjustments. He's got to do the same," Belt said. "We put too much into this game to go out there and have at-bats taken away. Everybody out here is human, everybody makes mistakes, but when you do it time and time again, something has to be done."
Corbin can live on that outer edge against lefties like Belt. He stands on the first base side of the rubber and can provide a hellacious angle when he runs the ball across the plate like that. Belt has nine hits in 39 at-bats against Corbin and was quick to compliment him, but said the issue was that the called strikes were at no point actual strikes. The first one was particularly egregious.
Pitch No. 7 was the strike three call on Brandon Belt that ultimately led to Bruce Bochy's 75th career ejection. pic.twitter.com/ZhgF0pu3On— Kerry Crowley (@KO_Crowley) April 18, 2019
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Bochy came out right away and was tossed right away, apparently having used the magic word quickly.
"That was too big. Belt had no chance," he said of the strike zone. "Come on, that's just too big."
Bochy said he had seen enough. Two innings later, Belt felt the same, spiking his helmet and saying a few words that got him sent back to the clubhouse, too.
👀 pic.twitter.com/oaJg0sMDmy— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 18, 2019
At the time of the second ejection, the Giants trailed 4-0 and had one hit. But Belt said he was frustrated because a game can change with a big hit here or there. The Giants did end up scoring a pair late and putting the tying run on first in the ninth inning.
[RELATED: Watch Belt throw his helmet, get ejected]
"We didn't lose in particular because of (the calls) but you hate to see stuff taken away," Belt said. "You never know what's going to happen."
