Former Red Sox Star Rips Umpires After Blown Call In Playoff Loss

The Boston Red Sox weren’t the only team sent packing on Thursday.

Before Boston’s Game 3 loss to the New York Yankees, the Chicago Cubs eliminated the San Diego Padres with a 3-1 win at Wrigley Field. The National League Wild Card Series ended in some controversy following a questionable call.

Xander Bogaerts attempted to give San Diego a baserunner in the ninth inning, but the umpire rung him up on a Brad Keller fastball that was way below ESPN’s unofficial strike zone. To the former Red Sox star’s dismay, the 3-2 count ended in a strikeout instead of a walk.

Bogaerts blasted the umpires after the game, per Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

“It’s a ball,” Bogaerts said. “Messed up the whole game, you know? I mean, can’t go back in time and talking about it now won’t change anything. So it was bad, and thank God for ABS next year, because this is terrible.”

MLB will introduce the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System next year, allowing players to challenge ball-strike calls for the Hawk-Eye ball-tracking system to review. Bogaerts almost certainly would have won a dispute if he had the chance on Thursday.

Umpire Scorecards labeled Bogaerts’ strikeout the game’s most impactful missed call.

The Padres voiced their frustrations after their season-ending loss. A fan-captured video showed players and coaches berating the umpire crew as they exited the field through San Diego’s visiting dugout.

That one call didn’t go San Diego’s way, but the Padres scored just five runs over the three-game series. Bogaerts went 4-for-12, giving him as many hits as star teammates Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Luis Arraez combined.