A controversial challenge lost by the Atlanta Braves in the ninth inning Sunday night was the difference in the game as the Philadelphia Phillies came from behind with a wild 7-6 victory.
Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm moved home with the eventual winning run as Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud tried to apply the tag, passing from the third base of the plate to the side from the first base where Bohm entered.
Plate referee Lance Barrett said Bohm was confident, though replays showed he might never have touched the home plate. After a long delay for the video challenge, the resolution on the ground was confirmed.
“Real-time is bang-bang,” said Drew Smyly, Braves starter after the game. “We have five different angles in a national TV game, and it’s clear his foot wasn’t touching the plate. That he was in the chalk. That MLB wouldn’t knock him over, it’s embarrassing. Why even play again if you win?” won’t you cancel it? “
MLB’s official resolution stated that the person responsible for the playback “could not definitively determine that the runner could not touch the motherboard before the fielder applied the label.”
“Initially, I didn’t know if he was safe or out, but after watching the playback it looked like his foot wasn’t touching the bag, from any angle we could see,” Arnaud said. “I thought it was clearly off the plate.”
The league players agreed, with Justin Turner and Mike Trout sharing their thoughts on the call on Twitter.
Absolutely brutal, did you see two angles that were clear that you never touched the plate and called us? I’m with everyone else, what sense does reproduction make? https://t.co/4F1bZAzNCX
– Justin Turner (@ redturn2) April 12, 2021
So bad …
– Mike Trout (@MikeTrout) April 12, 2021
The entry started with the teams tied, 6-6. After Bohm walked away with a double, Jean Segura hit a ground ball to second, allowing Bohm to reach third base. Lefty Didi Gregorius then hit a shallow ball into the left field of Braves reliever Will Smith. Brave left fielder Marcell Ozuna camped below, then threw a hopper into the plate, slightly to the side of third base. D’Arnaud grabbed the ball and slid forward to tag Bohm as his left foot reached the plate.
Bohm was asked if he thought he was safe after the match. “They told me for sure,” he said. “That’s all that matters.”
Phillies manager Joe Girardi added: “We felt we had a chance [to score on the fly ball]. It was tight and it was because of the big toe skin we marked. It looked like the big toe was touching the corner of the plate when we saw all the angles. “
The brave ones totally disagreed.
“It simply came to our notice then [replay] “said d’Arnaud.” It just slows down the game. To me, they were wrong. I’d rather not have it and start the game. “
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Brian Snitker, Drew Smyly and Travis D’Arnaud of the Braves express their frustrations with a controversial home call against the Phillies, with Smyly being embarrassed.
Braves manager Brian Snitker said he didn’t get a good explanation from the referees after the call, while de Arnaud said the person in charge of breeding in New York should be the interviewee. After the Braves lost the challenge, the downed Truist Park crowd responded by throwing trash on the field, causing a scuffle at Braves ’short Parador Dansby Swanson.
“I love our city,” Swanson said. “I love our fans. They’re passionate. They care. But what happened after they announced that call is the most embarrassing part of the whole night.
“Throwing things in the field is a disrespect for the people who work so hard to get the field ready every day … It’s a shameful representation of our city. The worst part is that I don’t think people are “I realize we have families here. There are kids sitting in the front row and you have bottles blowing over your head. Endangering kids who may not be able to protect themselves is downright embarrassing and shouldn’t happen again.” .
The controversy overshadowed another good game from Braves camper Ronald Acuna Jr. He had three hits, including a field goal on a routine short ground ball in the first inning. He later scored the score to tie it at 6-6.
In all, Acuna had nine hits in the three-game series, the most for him in a three-game period in his young career. But it won’t make it to the headlines, as the replay challenge took center stage in a first-season battle between division enemies.
“They said there wasn’t enough evidence, but there were five different angles,” one incredulous Smyly stated. “Sure. He didn’t touch the plate.”