Umpires are destined for human error, as should be expected at any given moment.
During the World Baseball Classic Pool D matchup between Puerto Rico and Venezuela, former Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez fell victim to a horrendous call that’ll be sure to raise anyone’s eyebrows at first glance.
In the third inning, Vázquez hustled through what appeared to be a routine ground out. But after Venezuela third baseman Eduardo Escobar made an off-line throw, Vázquez dodged the tag at first base, which according to the rules of baseball, should rule him safe, right?
Well, that wasn’t the case. And with Puerto Rico playing catchup in a 7-1 ballgame, skipper Yadier Molina was rightfully furious at both the umpires’ gross ruling at first and his team’s inability to challenge the crystal clear call.
Watch the head-scratching play unfold here, courtesy of FOX Sports.
When watching the play both in slow motion and in real-time, it couldn’t be any more clear that first baseman Luis Arraez never tagged Vázquez. Instead, the two-time World Series champion catcher was the victim of both an injustice from WBC umpiring and an elbow to the head.
According to the WBC rules, teams are granted one rule during pool play and the quarterfinal round, then two in the championship round.
Vázquez, now a member of the Minnesota Twins, went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs during Puerto Rico’s dominant 9-1 victory over Nicaragua to kick off their WBC run Saturday.
