Blue Jays second baseman Whit Merrifield (1) is initially called out by umpire Marty Foster (left) at the plate on a tag by Twins catcher Gary Sanchez during the 10th inning at Target Field in Minneapolis, Sunday, 7 August 2022. The call was challenged by the Blue Jays and overturned, making Merrifield safe on the play due to the catcher blocking the plate. Photo by Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports
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MINNEAPOLIS — It was playoff-style action in August, four back-and-forth games, more than 14 hours of play to go in and a shutout fiasco to top it all off. The Blue Jays snuck out of Target Field with a 3-2 overtime victory Sunday to even the AL Central-leading Twins 2-2. And what an escape it was. They did so thanks in part to a controversial – though technically correct – video review of an overturned call to rule Whit Merrifield safe at home after finding that Twins catcher Gary Sanchez was illegally obstructing the plate.
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That judgment from New York sparked one of the truly great managerial meltdowns of the modern era, when Rocco Baldelli of the Twins nearly lost his mind after that 10th inning out call at the plate was overturned by a video review.
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Here’s the hot mic from Rocco Baldelli after Merrifield was called safe…
I can’t hear exactly, but it’s like, “they haven’t flipped this in five years” … and then I think, “let’s change(?) this f*ckin (something)” pic.twitter.com /p0v08bfkmW
— Kevin Michie (@KevinMichie) August 7, 2022
“That was probably one of the craziest—things I’ve ever seen on a baseball field, done to a team,” Baldelli gushed afterward. “And for someone to step in, in that situation and ultimately make a decision that blocked the plate … that’s beyond embarrassing for our game.
“(It’s embarrassing) for the players out there on both sides of the court who work away for the whole game.”
The Jays, as you might expect, were much more of the chicken salad than the chickens view, a bottom line that allowed them to blow a 2-1 lead off closer Jordan Romano in the bottom of the ninth.
By the letter of the rule, the call could certainly be considered correct, though the interpretation was certainly a huge verdict for a pair of teams preparing for pending playoff games — and playing that way all weekend.
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It was clearly a sweet ending for the Jays, who are 3-3 through six games of a nine-game road trip, part of a 19-game streak against opponents with winning records. We apologize, but this video failed to load. “Maybe a little bit,” Jays interim manager John Schneider said when asked if he was surprised the run-clinching call was overturned. “But I think the call was right.” So did Merrifield, a smart, speedy runner who already made a huge impact in his first weekend with the Jays. His instincts were very strong as he advanced from second to third on a sacrifice bunt in the 10th and again on a mad dash home on another fly ball to the outfield. “I had a feeling it was going to be a game at the plate,” began Merrifield’s description of what unfolded. “I put my head down, the first couple of steps, I looked up, I saw Gary touching home plate – I just tried to slide right into him as best I could.
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“I know what the rule is. I think they named it right. I thought it should be flipped. Obviously, it’s a big point in the game and you don’t want it to come down to a rules decision, but the rules are there for a reason. “He’s got to give me a lane to slide into and I didn’t think I had. I’m glad they made the right call.” Baldelli, of course, disagreed. Heartfelt (and profane), you might say. “They made a play on the field, which is the right call, which every person in all of baseball — including the umps — knows is the right call,” Baldelli said. “And someone in New York decided it was worth getting knocked over on the field. It’s (bleeding) awful.” Snyder had no doubt what the challenge was, however, seeing the same thing as Merrifield – a blocked lane at the plate.
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Ultimately it was a call that could have gone either way, one that ended a series that was intensely exciting between a pair of teams hoping for much more than themselves in the coming weeks. The Jays recorded their 60th win and improved to 4-6 in extra games. But beyond the numbers and the controversy, they felt the intensity of a matchup against a quality opponent at a time of year when the tension starts to rise. “I’m so excited to play in a playoff game and do things that I know help my team win games,” said Merrifield, who had hits in each of his three games as a Jay and added the ability to running. fourth. “When the opportunity presents itself and I’m on the bases, I know I can cause a little havoc with my legs. I feel like things like that are valuable for a team of this talent, especially this time of year.
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“It felt like one of the biggest series I’ve played in a while, so it was kind of fun.” In what seemed like hours before the chaos began, Jays starter Kevin Gausman pitched six scoreless innings, allowing six hits while striking out five. In 14 innings over his last two starts, the talented right-hander has yet to allow a run. More stellar efforts like this will be needed, especially with a board that is in full grind mode. But character wins – even those with controversy – add value the deeper the season goes. “Coming out of here with a split in a game like that – this is a good team – hopefully it will continue a little bit longer,” Schneider said. “To be in these places is very good for a team. If we want to get where we want to go, it’s going to take a lot more than that.”
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