The Los Angeles Dodgers endured a drubbing at the hands of the Chicago Cubs in Game 4 of the National League Division Series, and Adrian Gonzalez was left to wonder what could have been.
He appeared to score the game’s first run, coming home on Andrew Toles’ two-out base hit to right field in the second inning. Jason Heyward’s throw was to the first-base side, though in home plate umpire Angel Hernandez’s estimation, Wilson Contreras reached back to tag Gonzalez in time.
The veteran first baseman immediately popped to his feet in disagreement over the call and implored Dodgers manager Dave Roberts to challenge.
Los Angeles challenged the call, and replay appeared to be in their favor. Gonzalez’s left hand crossed the plate before Contreras tagged his chin.
Only, MLB didn’t see enough to overturn the out, and the inning came to an end.
“I knew I was safe. We have plenty of still frames to prove I was safe,” a frustrated Gonzalez said after the loss.
“Unfortunately, this turned into a trial and there was not enough ‘evidence.’ Usually if they know that I would’ve been out they say a play ‘stands.’ But they said ‘not enough evidence,’ which means they saw me safe. Just not by enough of a margin.”
Considering there were two outs and Julio Urias was due to bat next, it’s not difficult to theorize even if the Dodgers’ challenge was successful, the impact in a 10-2 loss may have been minimal.
However, the beauty of baseball is it can produce the unimaginable. If Urias somehow manages to turn the lineup over and it leads to more runs, it perhaps places the offensive-starved Cubs under more pressure. And that’s what ate away at Gonzalez for the remainder of the game.
He tweeted this immediately after the game went final:
Somehow this is an out. #NLCS Takeseries lead tomorrow! Got to do this. Us against the world. pic.twitter.com/DAM8BRytrT
— Adrián González (@Adrian_ElTitan) October 20, 2016
“It was going to be big, big, big, big, for us to take a 1-0 lead,” Gonzalez said. “And maybe more. Who knows what happens. … It gave them momentum. Let’s be honest. After that, we played a very sloppy game. But I think the game would have been a whole different game, 100 percent.”
Gonzalez spoke with multiple umpires the next inning and said they agreed he was safe. “But they can only go by what they see on the scoreboard,” Gonzalez added. Roberts said he expected the initial ruling to get overturned.
Wednesday’s result guaranteed the NLCS will at least go to a Game 6 on Saturday at Wrigley Field.
