Jen Pawol made history in August 2025 as the first female umpire in MLB after nearly a decade working her way up through the minors, totaling over 1,200 games before the call finally came. On Sunday at Petco Park, in the last game before the All-Star break, she was behind the plate for the Padres-Blue Jays series decider, and by the end of it, both dugouts had something to say, with the internet charged as well.

Former MLB pitcher Seth McClung was among those who weighed in. “Female umpire Jen Pawol had another rough day as ring leader of a circus. She continually is one of the worst rated umpires,” McClung wrote on X.

The trouble started in the second inning, when Sung-Mun Song attempted to challenge a called strike from Kevin Gausman; Pawol claimed he was late in tapping his helmet. Padres hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. disagreed and protested her decision. While Craig Stammen went to talk with the third base umpire, Adam Hamari, Pawol ejected an arguing Souza Jr. from the game.

After the Padres, it was the Blue Jays’ turn to be frustrated in the same frame. In the later half of the second inning, with the Padres leading 2-1 and the bases loaded, Jackson Merrill was at the batter’s box. Merrill backed out of the box to claim a balk against Kevin Gausman, and the umpires gathered to discuss the play. However, before that, Pawol had already ruled the pitch a strike.

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As the umpires gathered to discuss, manager John Schneider and Gausman were both visibly frustrated. Schneider even came down to the field. But ultimately the ruling went against them, as the crew overturned the strike and ruled it as a balk. The ruling scored Ty France from third base as Song moved to second and Jake Cronenworth to third. The run gave the Padres a 3-1 lead. The entire sequence was shared by Jomboy Media. 

However, the Padres quickly lost the lead they secured with the balk as Ernie Clement homered to tie the score. The Blue Jays also took a 4-3 lead. The Padres ultimately rallied in the eighth inning to tie the score on Manny Machado’s RBI single and then go ahead on France’s sacrifice fly. They will head into the break with a 48-48 record.

That said, the Sunday game was not Pawol’s first contested call. In spring training 2026, she drew attention for calling a pitch right down the middle a ball. A miss that was later confirmed by Automated Ball Strike System data. And on Saturday in San Francisco, a delayed balk call also drew scrutiny during the Giants-Rockies game.