Brewers feeling frustrated after a critical call goes against them for a 2nd straight day
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers found themselves on the wrong end of a momentum-swinging decision by an umpiring crew for a second straight day.
This time, the umpires say they got the call right.
Milwaukee thought it had tied the game in the ninth inning of a 1-0 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night when a third strike to Jake Bauers got past Rays catcher René Pinto, enabling Sal Frelick to score from third. Bauers was ruled out and Frelick was ordered to go back to third when plate umpire Ryan Additon ruled that the hitter’s backswing hit Pinto’s helmet.
“So in this case, it was a third strike to Bauers and all runners go back to the original base at the time of the pitch,” crew chief Chris Guccione told a pool reporter. “That’s the rule.”
If backswing interference hadn’t been ruled, the Brewers would have tied the game and had the potential winning run on third base with only one out since Willy Adames advanced from second to third and Bauers had reached first when the pitch got away.