The Mets had a big feud with home plate umpire Emil Jimenez during Monday night’s loss to the Padres, especially Juan Soto.
Facing Dylan Cease with one out and a runner on second, Soto took a pitch that looked clearly outside, but Jimenez ruled it a strike to level the count at 2-2. Soto immediately turned around and had some words for Jimenez before asking for time to collect himself. Three pitches later, after working the count full, Soto took a pitch on the outer half, perhaps a borderline pitch but still could be argued that it was outside, and Jimenez rung him up for strike three.
Soto immediately began arguing with Jimenez again, and Carlos Mendoza ran out of the dugout to get between the umpire and his star. Pete Alonso approached from the on-deck circle to hold back the irate Soto, and after some words with Jimenez, Mendoza was tossed.
Two batters prior to Soto’s strikeout, Brandon Nimmo was punched out on some questionable calls as well. He took two breaking balls way outside that were each called strikes, then watched a low fastball that didn’t seem to catch the zone, but Jimenez ruled it strike three. Nimmo didn’t appear to have any words for Jimenez, but based on body language, he was clearly frustrated with how the at-bat went.
“He had a rough night,” Mendoza said after the game, a 7-6 loss. “There’s no way to sugarcoat it.”
Despite the rough showing from Jimenez, the Mets had a four-run lead following a grand slam by Mark Vientos, but they were unable to hold on, dropping the series opener in San Diego to snap a seven-game winning streak.