Game 4 Winning Pitcher: "I Thought Ángel Hernández Called A Good Game." Game 4 Losing Pitcher: "He's Absolutely Terrible."

CC Sabathia got touched up for five hits, two walks, and three runs over three lousy innings Tuesday night, and took the loss in Boston’s series-clinching win over the Yankees. Afterward, he lit up umpire Ángel Hernández, who was behind the plate in Game 4:

On the one hand, Hernández does indeed stink, and he definitely should not be working playoff games. On the other hand, his strike zone wasn’t so bad, per Brooks Baseball, and as Sabathia allowed in a moment of clarity, he was hardly why the Yankees lost. This could just be a veteran pitcher letting off some steam, at the expense of an obvious target, after a tough season-ending loss. Sabathia’s Red Sox counterpart, Rick Porcello, caught wind of Sabathia’s criticisms, and offered his own take:

Who would ever believe the winning and losing pitchers of an elimination game between heated rivals would have differing takes on the quality of the home plate umpire’s strike zone? Truly we live in crazy times.