Joey Votto, famed for his baseball IQ and a future Hall of Famer, had a broadcast moment he’s probably already trying to forget during Game 3 of the final wild-card series on Thursday. Serving as an “Inside the Pitch” analyst for NBC, Votto made a bold proclamation about Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler that blew up in his face faster than a two-seamer right down the pipe.
The Call That Went Instantly Sideways
Votto popped up in the fourth inning to drop some hot takes on Wheeler’s form. At that point, the Phillies were down 3-0, but Wheeler had looked solid, getting four out of five batters out. Votto, feeling confident, went all in: “As good as Zack Wheeler looks , this game as in play as it gets , I do not see the Braves scoring any more runs the rest of the way.” Seriously? You never say never in baseball, especially on live TV. And the Braves were ready to prove him wrong, like, immediately.
From “Unstoppable” to a Two-Run Bomb
What happened next was just brutal for anyone who respects the unwritten rules of broadcasting predictions. In the span of the *very next five pitches*, Wheeler, who was pitching on short rest, walked Austin Riley. And then, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies stepped up and smacked a two-run homer. That’s right, it took the Braves only *two pitches* after Votto’s absolute declaration to completely shatter his “no more runs” prediction. Color commentator C.J. Nitkowski perfectly summed up the disaster, telling Votto, “Joey, I’ve had a lot of fun working with you over these three days, but don’t check your mentions.” Talk about being roasted on air!
A Rough Night All Around for Philly
Wheeler’s final line for the night showed the struggle: 4 innings pitched, 3 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 strikeouts. That Albies homer created a huge cushion, and Atlanta never looked back, sealing a 6-2 win. Braves fans, as you can imagine, absolutely ate up the turn of events. For Votto, in his first season with NBC Sports after they landed a big MLB rights package, it was a harsh lesson in live predictions. NBC brought in guys like Votto, Anthony Rizzo, and Clayton Kershaw to juice up their broadcasts with recently retired players, and while Votto’s baseball IQ is legit, this moment was a classic example of why some things are better left unsaid.
The Braves are now off to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, starting Saturday. As for Joey Votto? He just learned a valuable lesson that predicting baseball can make even the smartest minds look foolish in a heartbeat. Maybe next time, he’ll just let the game speak for itself.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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