Cubs benefit from blown call on strikeout in Game 5

The Chicago Cubs turned around Game 5 of the NLDS on Thursday night against the Washington Nationals with a four-run inning in the fifth that was aided by a blown call.

Max Scherzer came in to pitch the top of the fifth for Washington with his team leading 4-3. He got two outs and then allowed an infield single, single, and then a 2-run double to give Chicago a 5-4 lead. After falling behind Jason Heyward, Scherzer intentionally walked him to bring up Javy Baez with runners on first and second with two out. That’s where things got really weird.

Baez struck out, but he reached on a dropped third strike/passed ball. As if that weren’t bad enough for Washington, Matt Wieters threw the passed ball into right field, allowing another run to score to make it 6-4. A catcher’s interference and hit by pitch allowed another run to score to make it 7-4.

The issue is that on the pitch where he struck out, Baez hit Wieters with his backswing.

hmm pic.twitter.com/j5R8erdrGp

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) October 13, 2017

MLB rules say that the ball should have been ruled dead and no runners should have advanced due to Baez’s interference.

I don't want to be an alarmist, but… it would appear they seriously messed that up. pic.twitter.com/0aABJlzGkC

— Jeff Long (@JeffLongBP) October 13, 2017

If no runners should have advanced and the ball should have been dead, it seems like Baez should have been out for striking out and the inning would have ended with the score 5-4. Instead, two more runs scored.

In a Game 5 where every run counts, the umpires hurt the Nats by missing the call.