“He’s there fielding the throw.” “The interpretation of the rule is such that you cannot do this.”
A critical interference call during Wednesday night’s game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers sparked a huge Philadelphia rally. Was the call correct? That may depend on which broadcast you were watching.
The Phillies trailed 4-3 heading into the sixth inning but scored five runs to take the lead in a game they’d eventually win 9-4. The next hitter, Brandon Marsh, bunted. Los Angeles third baseman Kiké Hernández fielded the bunt and threw the ball to shortstop Miguel Rojas, who was racing over to cover third. Rojas caught the ball and tagged Bohm before the runner reached the base. That is not up for debate. But third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ruled Bohm safe, calling interference against Rojas.
That was very much open for debate.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts came out to argue, something Wendelstedt told him he could not do on that play. Wendelstedt walked away from Roberts but as the manager persisted, Wendelstedt ejected him. Joe Davis and Jessica Mendoza, calling the game for Spectrum SportsNet LA agreed with Roberts.
“This is a great play all around,” Mendoza said. “I mean, what are you supposed to do? Unless it was on the way when he was running.”
“The definition of obstruction is when a fielder — either not in possession of the ball or not in the act of fielding a throw — is in the way and impedes the runner,” Davis said, immediately after Roberts was ejected.
“That’s why this doesn’t make sense to me because Miguel Rojas is doing the opposite of that,” Mendoza added. “He is running to cover the bag, to field the throw and make a fantastic play.”
Davis then detailed that blocking of the bases has been a point of emphasis for umpires throughout the season.
“I get why Dave’s fired up though,” Mendoza said. “What else is Miguel Rojas supposed to do? He’s gotta run to the bag and when you run to the bag, you will be in the basepaths to be able to get there and make this play. I mean, this is a great play.”
“He’s in the act of fielding the throw,” Davis said. “By definition — and this is a rule that has been on the books since the 1850s, that they’re just accentuating this year — he’s not camped out there. He’s there fielding the throw.”
“Joe, I get it if he gets there with plenty of time and he puts his leg down and now he’s trying to impede Bohm from getting to third base. But that’s not what happens. He’s running, catching (and) tagging all in one. Which, when you’re doing that, with a runner coming in, there’s nothing else that you can do.”
"What else is Miguel Rojas supposed to do? He's gotta run to the bag and when you run to the bag, you will be in the basepaths to be able to get there and make this play."
Jessica Mendoza critical of a big interference call that led to Dave Roberts' ejection. pic.twitter.com/iS57kdO0KB
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 8, 2024
That was the viewpoint of the Los Angeles announcers. And since the Los Angeles broadcast was simulcast on the MLB Network, it’s likely the argument that most people watching the game heard.
But broadcast booths will often disagree about controversial calls. That was the case here. Tom McCarthy and Rubén Amaro Jr., calling the game for the Phillies on NBC Sports Philadelphia, disagreed with their Los Angeles colleagues.
McCarthy initially said that he didn’t think Rojas was interfering. But upon further inspection, his mind changed.
“Maybe there, his foot could have been,” McCarthy said.
“He slid into his foot which was in front of the bag,” Amaro said to an agreeing McCarthy. “And the interpretation of the rule is such that you cannot do this. So it may not have been the wrong call by Hunter Wendelstedt.”
“Again, it’s his interpretation,” McCarthy said. “And he did slide into his foot and that’s what Hunter saw.”
“He obviously would have been out regardless,” Amaro said, and McCarthy agreed. “But his foot did slide into the left foot of Miguel Rojas. Thus the call.”
"He slid into his foot, which was in front of the bag…It may not have been the wrong call by Hunter Wendelstedt."
"It's his interpretation. And he did slide into his foot. And that's what Hunter saw."
Rubén Amaro Jr. and Tom McCarthy saw it differently. pic.twitter.com/ReHKEwQDko
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 8, 2024
The game significantly shifted on that play. Bohm scored the tying run on an RBI groundout from the next hitter, J.T. Realmuto. A flyout from Bryson Stott was sandwiched between walks to Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas. With two outs, Marsh scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch from Joe Kelly. Kyle Schwarber then added some serious insurance with a three-run homer to open up an 8-4 lead. Schwarber hit another home run — his third of the day — in the ninth inning to put the Phillies up 9-4.
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