Royals’ Nicky Lopez made a dazzling defense play despite umpire running interference
Prepare yourselves, Royals fans, because at some point during this week’s four-game series against Cleveland, Angel Hernandez will be behind the plate calling balls and strikes.
If the umpire rotation holds true, it should be Wednesday for a great pitching matchup between the Royals’ Brady Singer (3.09 ERA) and Cleveland’s Shane Bieber (2.76 ERA).
Whether you agree or not, Hernandez has a reputation as being one of the worst umpires in Major League Baseball.
During Cleveland’s 8-6 win over the Royals on Monday night at Kauffman Stadium, Hernandez made his presence felt, even though he was the second-base umpire.
In the fourth inning, Cleveland’s Franmil Reyes doubled and the Royals shifted to the right side for left fielder Eddie Rosario. He bunted and shortstop Nicky Lopez charged the ball, which got past pitcher Daniel Lynch.
Lopez ran right into Hernandez, who moved toward the left side of the infield, but Lopez still made a terrific play:
Bally Sports Kansas City’s Rex Hudler noted: “Well, the second-base umpire was in his way and he couldn’t get out of his way. ... That’s some kind of interference right there, it’s got to be.”
Lopez stayed in the game.
This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 9:49 AM.
