Nationals hurt by crucial missed call in do-or-die NLDS Game 5
Nationals hurt by crucial missed call in do-or-die NLDS Game 5:-In the middle of the catastrophic fifth inning that threatened to sink the Washington Nationals’ season Thursday night, an apparently missed call severely worsened the damage at the potentially pivotal moment of Game 5 of the National League Division Series against the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs scored a run on a two-out strikeout and continued to rally until they led by three. But the umpires either missed a call or misinterpreted a non-reviewable rule that, legislated correctly, would have ended the inning with the Nationals trailing by only a run.
With two outs and runners on first and second, Javier Baez swung and missed at Max Scherzer’s 0-2 slider in the dirt. The ball skidded through catcher Matt Wieters’s legs to the backstop. Wieters scampered to retrieve the ball and fired a panicked, wide throw to first base. Addison Russell scored from second, extending the Cubs’ lead to 6-4.
The Cubs would tack on another run after a catcher’s interference call and a hit batsman concluded a remarkable chain of events. When the inning ended, the Cubs led, 7-4.
But when Baez swung, his backswing appeared to hit Wieters in the mask. If so, Baez should have been out, under rule 6.03(a). The pertinent section of the rule states:
“If a batter strikes at a ball and misses and swings so hard he carries the bat all the way around and, in the umpire’s judgment, unintentionally hits the catcher or the ball in back of him on the backswing, it shall be called a strike only (not interference). The ball will be dead, however, and no runner shall advance on the play.”
Wieters gestured at umpires after the play unfolded. The crew, led by crew chief and home plate umpire Jerry Layne, met in the infield. Manager Dusty Baker walked out to talk with the umpires. At the end of the discussion, the result of the play stood.
Under MLB challenge rules, catcher interference is not listed as a reviewable play. An MLB official confirmed that play cannot be challenged.
Source:-https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2017/10/12/nationals-hurt-by-crucial-missed-call-in-do-or-die-nlds-game-5
