The Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays are in a dead heat for the American League wild card spots. And if Boston ends up missing out on a postseason appearance, it’ll be tough to overlook the horrible night that umpire Joe West had on Sunday.
He very well may have impacted an entire playoff race.
The Red Sox took the lead in the seventh inning after Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo dropped a fly ball in left field. With the two teams tied in the standings, this game had major postseason implications, and the Red Sox had all the momentum — briefly.
The game would swing in the top of the eighth when Aaron Judge should have been called out on a caught foul-tip third strike. Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez caught the ball and as he was reaching for it in his glove on the transfer, the ball fell out.
Joe West called this a foul ball instead of a foul-tip third strike that was dropped on the transfer.
Not good.pic.twitter.com/iyFl2puSVJ
— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) September 27, 2021
West just straight-up missed the call, giving Judge new life.