WASHINGTON — Jim Joyce and first base are a bad combination on baseball’s biggest stages.
The veteran umpire — notorious for his blown call at first base in 2010 that denied the Tigers’ Armando Galarraga a perfect game — missed a call in Wednesday’s second inning that helped squelch a potential Nationals rally in their 8-0 loss to the Cardinals in Game 3 of the NLDS.
Danny Espinosa bunted and beat David Freese’s throw to first base, but was called out by Joyce. Instead of having runners on first and second with nobody out against Chris Carpenter, the Nationals had one out with a runner at second. Carpenter then retired Kurt Suzuki and Edwin Jackson to end the inning.
Nationals manager Davey Johnson gave Joyce an earful after the call.
“I said, ‘I’m 20 years older than you and see him as safe,’ ’’ Johnson said. “He said he thought he got it right. I said, ‘Check the replay.’ He said, ‘I don’t have the luxury of doing that right now.’ ’’