The Dodgers lost 9-4 to the Phillies on Wednesday, but manager Dave Roberts continued to talk about the umpires after the game.
With Los Angeles leading 4-3 in the top of the sixth inning, Philadelphia outfielder Brandon Marsh bunted with no outs and a runner on second base.
Third baseman Enrique Hernandez lunged to catch the ball and threw a pass to shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was running from shortstop to cover third base to get the leadoff runner out.
Rojas quickly tagged out Alec Bohm, who was advancing from second base to third base.
The ball was easily beaten by Bohm, and third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ruled Bohm safe due to interference by Rojas, even though the infielder had clearly been tagged out before reaching the base.
Roberts quickly came out to protest the play, but was quickly ejected by the umpire.
He called the ruling a “terrible oversight.” From ESPN.
“He was wrong,” Roberts said after the game. “That’s just a fact of life. It’s hard to officiate. They do a great job. That play affected the game tonight.”
As Roberts said, the call completely changed the complexion of the game.
Instead of a situation where there was one out and a runner on first base, there were runners on each corner with zero outs.
Wendelstedt’s call was followed by a tying grounder, a walk and a three-run homer by Kyle Schwarber to seal the win for the Phillies.
“It’s unfortunate when an umpire changes the course of a game and a series,” said Rojas, who was not ejected despite arguing with Wendelstedt after the play.
Crew chief Marvin Hudson supported Wendelstedt’s decision.
“He has to have the ball before he gets to the base,” Hudson told ESPN. “That’s the new rule this year.”
Hudson added that Rojas “was in front of the big man without the ball.”
The Dodgers lost their second straight game to the Phillies, and Los Angeles fell to 5-8 in its past 13 games.
The Dodgers once held a nine-game lead in the National League West, but the gap between them and the Padres and Diamondbacks has narrowed to just three games.
