With the Los Angeles Dodgers holding a 5-3 lead over the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning on Monday night, Ozzie Albies hit a one-out single to bring Jorge Soler to the plate as the tying run.
Soler had already hit a solo home run earlier in the game off Julio Urias, but was facing Corey Knebel as he looked to cut further into the Dodgers’ lead. Knebel got ahead in the count when Soler swung a curveball for strike two, but Albies stole second base.
That was until home-plate umpire Mike Estabrook signaled Soler had interfered with Will Smith on his throw to second base. Replay showed Soler’s bat graze Smith’s back as he followed through on the swing.
Solar and Albies were both called out, which appeared to end the inning, only to then lead to mass confusion. Umpires huddled together and spoke with Braves manager Brian Snitker before going to a review of the entire sequence.
Mookie Betts and Albies also had a lighthearted conversation with each other and umpires.
“Ultimately they got it right. I think there was just a little bit of miscommunication on if it was strike three on Soler or not,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained after his club’s 5-3 win. “Ultimately, it wasn’t.
“So when that’s the case and he interferes with the catcher, then the batter is out and the runner returns to the previous base occupied, which was first base. If it were strike three, then the batter would be out — obviously — and the runner who is attempting to steal would’ve been out as well.
“So now you look back, it was two strikes, the batter interfered so he was out and the runner returns to first base.”
Once matters had been reset, Blake Treinen entered to face Freddie Freeman and got the Dodgers out of the inning. Treinen then stranded back-to-back singles in the ninth to complete a four-out save.
Dodgers gain on Giants
As the Dodgers were finishing out their win over the Braves, the San Francisco Giants lost to the Milwaukee Brewers minutes before the game went final at Dodger Stadium.
“I was aware of what was going on, but that’s just part of being a competitor, which we all are. And being a fan, which we all are,” Roberts said. “Our main focus was obviously winning this game against the Braves.”
Roberts also admitted there was excitement — perhaps even relief — L.A. was able to capitalize on a San Francisco loss.
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