ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — When Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Wilmer Font threw a full-count slider that just nicked the inside corner of the strike zone on Saturday, umpire Dan Bellino’s right fist thrust forward and then back. Strike three.
The call made the batter, Aaron Judge, cringe.
It was early on — and the moment had little consequence in the Yankees’ 4-0 loss to the Rays — but it was another example of what is becoming an issue for the Yankees’ best player. Judge, like his teammates, has been told to avoid baseball’s dated practice of swinging at any close pitch when facing two strikes.