Houston — Michael Fulmer typically is more diplomatic, but he could not contain his frustration Saturday, after he was knocked out of the game in the fifth inning in the Tigers' 9-1 loss to the Astros.
"The guy was god-awful today," he said, speaking of home-plate umpire Pat Hoberg. "It was a bad day for him and for me."
Fulmer's line was ugly — 4u2154 innings, 10 hits, seven runs, including back-to-back home runs by Josh Reddick and Evan Gattis that hastened his exit in the fifth inning. His frustration, though, which was palpable, was with Hoberg and his small and inconsistent strike zone.