MIAMI — The Miami Marlins were heated after Thursday night’s game when a call from Major League Baseball’s new instant replay system and the rule preventing catchers from blocking the plate did not go their way.
The Cincinnati Reds thought MLB got it just right.
A long delay in the eighth inning resulted in what the Marlins thought was the third out turning into the tying run.
Zack Cozart was initially ruled out by home plate umpire Mike Winters on the play at the plate. The review extended the inning and Ryan Ludwick delivered a two-run single to help give the Reds a 3-1 victory.
“The fact of that matter is that everyone around baseball should be embarrassed by a call like that,” Marlins president David Samson said during an expletive-laced postgame tirade.
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With the Marlins leading 1-0 in the top of the eighth, the Reds loaded the bases with one out. Bryan Morris got Todd Frazier to fly out to right fielder Giancarlo Stanton whose throw to the plate easily beat Cozart for what appeared to be the final out of the inning when catcher Jeff Mathis tagged out Cozart, who trotted in without a slide.
However, after a 6-minute, 10-second instant replay review, the call was overturned because Mathis was ruled to be blocking the plate and Cozart was called safe, tying the game 1-1.
Marlins manager Mike Redmond was immediately ejected after throwing his hat to the ground and arguing with the umpires. Redmond kicked his hat on his way back to the dugout for good measure.
“As a former catcher in this league for 13 seasons, as a grinder, as a guy who loves this game and respects this game so much, this game has been a part of my life forever, but to lose a ballgame tonight on that play is a joke, it’s an absolute joke,” Redmond said. “I don’t think anybody who plays this game should feel good about winning that game and I would say that if it had been reversed. That guy was out by 15 feet.”
Cozart saw it differently.
“I thought it was pretty obvious from the replay that they made the right call,” he said.
Reds manager Bryan Price agreed.
“Cozart was out by a fairly reasonable margin, but the catcher, from the inception of that ball going off the bat, had taken away the entire plate with his feet,” Price said. “His body was in the middle of the plate.”
During the delay, Mathis, a 10-year veteran, was confident that he did everything right in accordance of the rules.
“I’m just disgusted,” Mathis said. “That’s a tough way to lose a game. … For it to be decided like that, it’s just disgusting.”
MLB issued a statement about the play after the game:
“We have begun to examine the Crew Chief Review in tonight’s Reds-Marlins game, which resulted in a violation of Rule 7.13, the call being overturned and a run scoring on the play,” the statement said. “We plan to discuss this situation further with the appropriate parties tomorrow, and we will communicate with the clubs after our discussion about this play.”
Reds starter Johnny Cueto (12-6) struck out nine and allowed one run in seven innings and Aroldis Chapman pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
Stanton hit his 25th home run and Tom Koehler (7-8) took the loss allowing two unearned runs in seven innings.