Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call found himself at the center of online criticism after using both of Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenges in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

The Dodgers outfielder challenged back-to-back called strikes during his opening at-bat, with both calls being upheld.

The situation unfolded after Call worked himself into a favorable 3-0 count against Rockies pitcher Gabriel Hughes. The unusual sequence quickly went viral, drawing severe backlash from Dodgers fans, who questioned Alex Call’s decision-making.

After the next two pitches were called strikes, the Dodgers' $1.6M outfielder tapped his helmet to challenge each call, but the ABS system confirmed both pitches were within the strike zone. This left the Dodgers without any challenges for the rest of the game.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Alex Call’s decision to use both of MLB’s Automated Ball-Strike challenges in the first inning immediately reminded fans of a similar incident involving Seattle Mariners left fielder Randy Arozarena.

Arozarena made history in early July by becoming the first MLB player to burn through both of his team’s ABS challenges during an at-bat against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Like Call, Arozarena challenged consecutive called strikes in an attempt to overturn the calls. Still, both challenges were unsuccessful, leaving the Mariners without any challenges for the remainder of the game.

The incident quickly became a talking point among fans, who criticized the decision to use both challenges so early. While Arozarena’s moment became a viral example of a challenge gone wrong, it highlighted the importance of timing when using ABS challenges.

Call’s similar first-inning sequence against the Rockies sparked the same frustration, as Dodgers fans questioned why both challenges were spent on back-to-back pitches before the game had even properly begun.

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