No one was sure what Blue was seeing on Monday night.
Marlins third baseman Javier Sanoja came to bat with the bases loaded and two outs against Phillies reliever Jonathan Bowlan with Philadelphia leading 4-1 in the seventh inning on Monday night when Sanoja hit a ball down the right field line.
The ball clearly gets chalk as it goes down the first base line for a potential bases-clearing double — but first base umpire Shane Livensparger misses the ball and spoiled what could have been a game-changing play.
Livensparger was attempting to jump and twist out of the way of the line drive when it hit chalk and went down the right field line.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough then challenged the incorrect call and won, though you can’t assume that the bases will clear so only two of the three runs scored.
“Once they [called] out there, I can’t go argue a play that went to New York,” McCullough said. “My only point was that I get it, but with two outs, with the size of the lead Otto’s going to have there not being held on and going on contact, where that ball was going to end up, I think that he was going to score anyway. Just a little bit more frustration that you see the call’s going to get overturned and think what could have been. But again, I think back more to the chances we had, a run or two that we maybe gave them.”
McCullough was quickly thrown out by third-base umpire Todd Tichenor after arguing the placement of the runners and how Otto Lopez wasn’t awarded home plate and the third run scored of the play.
The Marlins announced ranted that the call was “awful”, “terrible” and “dreadful.”
The Marlins would go on to lose 6-5 after leaving the tying run on base in the top of the ninth inning.
It was a crucial loss for the 64-62 Marlins, who are sitting three games back of the San Padres for the final wild-card spot.
The Phillies are also in front of them in the wild-card race with a 68-58 record.
“It was frustrating to see a situation like that,” Sanoja told reporters after the game. “As division rivals, we understand the value of this game and just seeing the game [affected] by a situation like that is truly disappointing.”
Miami sends Cade Gibson to the mound on Tuesday against Phillies ace Zack Wheeler in another crucial matchup for the NL East rivals.
