MLB umpire CB Bucknor’s brutal week got even worse on Wednesday.
Working as the home plate umpire, Bucknor — under intense scrutiny over bad calls — was struck in the facemask by a foul tip in the top of the second inning of the Rays-Brewers game in Milwaukee and had to leave the game.
Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski’s 1-2 pitch to Rays catcher Nick Fortes, which was a 100 miles per hour, was fouled back and hit Bucknor, sending the 63-year-old down to his knees in distress. A Brewers trainer went out to check on Bucknor before he exited the matinee.
Chad Fairchild, who had been manning first base, took Bucknor’s place behind home plate.
Bucknor committed a head-scratching blunder as the first base umpire Tuesday night, ruling that the Brewers’ Jake Bauers missed first base while running from home plate, despite his right foot very clearly landing on the base.
Milwaukee challenged the call and it was quickly overturned, prompting both Brewers manager Pat Murphy and Rays manager Kevin Cash to chuckle in their respective dugouts.
Bauers had hit a line drive to Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who knocked the ball down and then threw wide of first base, which should have resulted in an easy safe call.
That followed a dismal performance behind the plate on Saturday during the Red Sox-Reds game, during which he had six calls overturned by ABS challenges.
Two of those overturned calls came on consecutive pitches to Eugenio Suarez in the sixth inning. Both of Bucknor’s strike-three calls were overturned.
