Giants' Belt questions integrity of umpire after game-ending strike call

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt wasn't pleased with home plate umpire Doug Eddings after a 6-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

Belt was called out on strikes to end the game Wednesday. He disagreed with the call, and questioned the integrity and motives of Eddings during a postgame interview.

"It’s tough because you hope an umpire doesn’t affect the game like that," Belt told reporters, including San Francisco news station KPIX 5.

"But he did, and you’re not sure if it was on purpose either. I’ve heard the guy multiple times say that, or insinuate, that he’s trying to get through the game fast, and then he makes calls like that, that I can’t imagine he really thought was a strike. You gotta wonder."

Belt wasn't pleased with two pitches during his last at-bat against Reds closer Raisel Iglesias, most notably the final pitch of the game that appeared to be outside but was called strike three.

(Video courtesy: MLB.com)

Had the 3-2 pitch been called a ball, Evan Longoria would have stepped to the plate with two runners on and a chance to tie the game.

"I’m not here to talk bad about the umpires," Belt said. "I think 99.9 percent of the umpires are great. I actually enjoy talking to them.

"But there’s just some times when you have a feeling that one or two of them are trying to get the game over with, whether it’s through what they say or what they do. And that just can’t happen. You can’t have those guys affecting careers and affecting games like that. We had a really good hitter coming up after that, who could have tied the game for us and we never got that chance because he called a ball that was so far off the plate that I don't think I could have touched it if I swung at it."

MLB's pitch tracker suggests Belt's frustrations were warranted.

MLB hasn't responded to Belt's comments, although the All-Star could still be disciplined.