Game-winning run scores after umpires decide the catcher was blocking the plate, a breakdown

Jun 28, 2023 722.2K views 6:09

What Happened

In a critical late-season matchup, the Chicago White Sox host the New York Yankees in a tightly contested game. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the score tied 2-2, the White Sox have a runner on second base and two outs. Designated hitter Eloy Jiménez steps up to the plate and rips a single to left field, sending the runner from second sprinting home. New York catcher José Trevino receives the throw and sets up blocking the plate, but the runner, sliding headfirst, appears to reach the plate before Trevino applies the tag. However, the home plate umpire immediately calls the runner out, ruling that Trevino did not violate the "blocking the plate" rule. The White Sox coaching staff immediately challenges the call and after a lengthy video review, the umpires overturn the original call. "After review, the call on the field is overturned," the umpire announces. "The catcher blocked the plate and the runner scores. The go-ahead run is in for the White Sox." White Sox manager Tony La Russa emerges from the dugout, visibly frustrated. "What are you talking about?" La Russa exclaims. "I invented this rule because my catcher got hurt and we didn't like it. This isn't what it was!" La Russa is ejected for arguing the call. In the top of the ninth inning, with the White Sox leading 3-2, Yankees slugger Aaron Hicks steps to the plate representing the tying run. Hicks crushes a two-run homer to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. As Hicks rounds the bases, he jokingly calls for a replay review, poking fun at the earlier controversial call. The wild back-and-forth sequence encapsulates the ongoing debate around the "blocking the plate" rule and its subjective application by umpires. Both teams are left frustrated, with the White Sox feeling they were unfairly denied a crucial run and the Yankees questioning the consistency of the rule's enforcement. As the game concludes, the umpires and managers are left to sort out the complex nuances of the controversial call, setting the stage for continued discussion and debate around this pivotal moment in the heated AL East rivalry.

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