Fines Are Probably Imminent, But Bochy And The Rangers Have a Serious Gripe
The Chicago White Sox emerged victorious in a game against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, but the final play left a controversial taste in the mouths of both teams. With the game tied at 6-6 in the bottom of the eighth inning and two outs, White Sox rookie Zach Remillard hit a potential go-ahead single. Elvin Andrus, who was on second base, attempted to score but was thrown out at home by left-fielder Travis Jankowski, with catcher Jonah Heim applying the tag.
However, things took an unexpected turn when the White Sox challenged the play and were granted a favorable ruling by the replay center. The decision was based on the argument that Heim was blocking the plate, thus preventing Andrus from reaching home. Replays showed that Heim had actually left the front of the plate open for Andrus to slide, with only his foot positioned toward the back of the plate.
outfield view of jonah heim’s plate-blocking violation 👀 pic.twitter.com/sAlfND2Ji0
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 21, 2023
Bochy Was in the Right
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was furious upon hearing the decision and was subsequently ejected from the game. Heim, along with the rest of the Rangers, appeared frustrated and perplexed by the call. Even the White Sox commentators in the booth expressed astonishment, with color commentator Steve Stone admitting his confusion, saying, “I have no idea why that was a violation.”
Bochy has been ejected after his reaction of the White Sox challenge that was reversed 🤯
@Rangers | #StraightUpTX | 📺: BSSW pic.twitter.com/PRhMQur4QJ— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) June 21, 2023
Despite the controversy, the game continued, and White Sox closer Kendall Graveman secured a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning to seal the 7-6 victory for Chicago.
Following the game, Bochy voiced his dissatisfaction with the decision, expressing his strong disagreement with the ruling. The call sparked a heated debate, with the Rangers vehemently criticizing the decision while Major League Baseball attempted to provide an explanation.
“For that call to be made, I’m dumbfounded. It’s absolutely one of the worst calls I’ve ever seen and it was done by replay, I just don’t get it. I don’t care how many times they’ll try to explain it, you can’t do that in that situation. It’s a shame. It’s embarrassing, really. There was never any contact with the catcher. It was a sweet tag I don’t get it, I really don’t. Again, I’m shocked. Jonah did a great job there.” – Rangers’ Manager Bruce Bochy
The controversial play will likely continue to be a topic of discussion and scrutiny as both teams assess the outcome and the impact it had on the game’s final result.
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