The Dodgers fell to the Phillies on Wednesday night with a final score of 9-4.
In the sixth inning, the game slipped away from the Dodgers when they allowed five runs, turning their 4-3 lead into an 8-4 deficit. This inning was filled with controversy and resulted in Dave Roberts’ first ejection of the season.
The drama started when Brandon Marsh bunted to advance Alec Bohm from second base. Enrique Hernandez fielded the ball and threw it to Miguel Rojas at third base, who tagged Marsh out.
Controversial Call:
But there was a twist: umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called Bohm safe due to obstruction.
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If that call hadn’t been made, the Dodgers might have ended the inning with a double play. Instead, J.T. Realmuto tied the game with a groundout, and Joe Kelly struggled on the mound, giving up walks and a wild pitch before Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer .
Unsurprisingly, the Dodgers were upset by how things turned out.
“He got it wrong,” Roberts said after the game. “Umpiring is hard. They do a great job. Tonight, that play affected the game.”
Rojas didn’t hold back either: “I think this guy has seen this play a million times and just wanted some part of… I don’t know… part of a moment in the game.”
Fans might feel that umpires sometimes want their share of attention too.
Crew chief Marvin Hudson explained that Wendelstedt’s call was based on Rojas being in front of the bag without having possession of the ball first—a new rule introduced this year.
Back in spring training, MLB instructed umpires to be more vigilant about calling obstruction on basepaths.
An older version of MLB’s rulebook states: “If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball… he may be considered ‘in the act of fielding.'” It’s up to an umpire’s judgment whether or not he is obstructing.
This particular play couldn’t be challenged or reviewed via video replay.
It was up to Wendelstedt alone to decide if Rojas had obstructed Bohm by stopping short at third base for catching Hernandez’s throw. It’s uncertain if Wendelstedt also factored in Bohm’s foot making contact with Rojas’ during his slide attempt (Roberts mentioned that Rojas had given Bohm space by straddling).
The Phillies will now face off against Arizona Diamondbacks starting Thursday while Dodgers prepare for Pittsburgh Pirates arriving Friday.
What do you think about these calls?
