Ump throws out Phillies Pitcher and even the Dodgers argue it, a breakdown

Jul 16, 2019 6.9M views 2:12
MLB Philadelphia Phillies 2019

What Happened

In a 12-1 blowout at Citizens Bank Park on July 15, 2019, the Dodgers had just gone deep on Alex Verdugo's two-run homer off a Phillies reliever. On the very next pitch, Justin Turner got plunked in the leg, and home plate umpire DJ Reyburn immediately ejected the pitcher with no warning. The decision was so confusing that even the Dodgers were baffled, since the pitch that hit Turner looked like a breaking ball, not a fastball headed for the ribs. Turner, Joc Pederson, and the Dodgers dugout openly laughed at the call while the Phillies argued it.

Why This Matters

MLB rules give an umpire discretion to issue warnings or eject for an intentional hit by pitch, but the standard is judgment about intent. Here the read was off. A pitcher up 12-1 has zero reason to start a war, and the offering looked like an offspeed pitch that simply got away. What made it memorable was the rare sight of the team that benefited from the ejection arguing against it. Turner getting hit, then laughing about being tossed in his favor, undercut the whole basis for the call. The clip became a teaching example of how warnings are the better tool in a non-competitive game. No suspension or fine carried real weight from a blowout, but it stuck around as a reminder that umpire intent calls can misfire badly.

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Key Moments

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Who / What Is Involved

Players: Alex Verdugo. Teams: Phillies, Dodgers.

Alex Verdugo

Key Terms Mentioned

Manager EjectionUmpire Controversy

Full Transcript

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we had a fun situation in Philadelphia

the Dodgers were crushing the Phillies

Verdugo swinging through that fastball

but crushes that off-speed pitch for a

two-run homer make it a 12 to 1 game