Rays Pitcher Pete Fairbanks Blasts Ball Humidor After Giving Up Walk-Off Grand Slam

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Pete Fairbanks was not happy with the ball humidor at Coors Field during his team's 10-7 loss on Friday night and said it was the reason he coughed up a walk-off grand slam.

The Rays rallied late with 5 runs in the ninth, only for Colorado's Ryan McMahon to blast the walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the inning after Fairbanks walked three batters in the inning to load the bases.

After the game, Fairbanks teed off on the Coors Field ball humidor.

"They were not uniform from ball to ball," Fairbanks said, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. "They were horrible." "You can mark that down in all caps for me — HORRIBLE." 

The Denver Post didn't add the caps per Fairbanks' request, but I did. 

However, don't get Fairbanks' critique of the ball humidor mixed up with an excuse. That's not what he was saying… even though it sounds like it was. He owned the fact that he was having trouble throwing strikes.

Rays Pitcher Pete Fairbanks blasted the humidor at Coors Field after giving up a walk-off grand slam against the Colorado Rockies. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

"No excuses, though. I didn’t throw strikes, and that’s what happens when you don’t throw strikes. You get punished for it."

However, Fairbanks' comments still ignited Humidtygate.

Apparently, the Rockies have been storing balls in a humidor for over two decades. This — as you probably guessed — was largely due to the altitude and drier air.

However, humidors are now commonplace around the league. 

"We are not in charge of the baseballs; that is overseen by Major League Baseball," Rockies GM Bill Schmidt said, per The Denver Post. "Plus, there are humidors in every major league park now."

I don't know who's right, but I will say this: If I was a visiting pitcher and had a bad outing at Coors Field, I would absolutely be laying into the humidor after Fairbanks' comments.