The New York Yankees are considering a protest over the way the ninth inning of the their 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers played out on Saturday.
Gio Urshela hit into a fielder’s choice with one out and runners on first and second in the top of the ninth with his team down 2-1. The Dodgers tried to get Brett Gardner at second on a force play, but Gardner was called safe on a review. While the Dodgers were focusing on the play at second (Max Muncy had been taken down by Gardner’s slide), lead runner Gleyber Torres tried to make a break for home. He looked like he would score the tying run but the home plate umpire and Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen indicated time had been called.
Just seems like a very inconvenient time to call time pic.twitter.com/MD7DDnhqB2
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) August 24, 2019
The next two Yankees batters struck out to strand the bases loaded and lose the game.
After dropping the contest 2-1, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he was told Gleyber did not score because time was called. He said the team was considering a protest.
Boone said he was told Gleyber did not score because Jansen held his hands up and the home plate umpire called time. Boone said it looked to him like Gleyber was already running down the line.
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 24, 2019
Boone said that he watched the replay and that Torres had definitely started running. But that wasn’t how the umps saw it. “As far as I know, if they call time, they called time.”
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 24, 2019
Boone on if the Yankees could protest: “We’ll certainly inquire with everyone and try to get a good explanation.”
— Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) August 24, 2019
Muncy said he called time on the play because he was hurt, though he acknowledged some part was an acting job because he didn’t want Torres scoring.
Muncy laughed and said he pulled something of a "soccer" move so the umpires could call timeout and prevent the runner from scoring in the ninth. "He still got me good, it still hurt, so it wasn't entirely fake. But there might have been a little acting class in there."
— Alden Gonzalez (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 25, 2019
The teams have now split the first two games of the series. Sunday will be the rubber match of the three-game set.
