Another Major League Baseball game, another blown umpire's call.
The latest gaffe came arguably cost the Philadelphia Phillies a chance to tie or win the game Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Brewers led 4-3 in the bottom of the ninth with closer Francisco Rodriguez on the mound. Phillies second baseman Carlos Hernandez was batting and pinch-runner Kyle Kendrick was on second base with one out.
Rodriguez tried a pickoff play at second.
Milwaukee shortstop Jean Segura, broke for the bag, but Francisco threw the ball behind Segura, forcing him to dive back to his right over the second base bag, as Kendrick was sliding back to the bag. Francisco's throw hit the dirt, bounced up and grazed Kendrick as Segura applied the tag with an empty glove.
The ball rolled back into Segura's bare right hand, and he showed second-base umpire Mike Estabrook the ball. Estabrook called Kendrick out.
Now with two out, Hernandez then doubled, which would've scored Kendrick.
USA Today reported that crew chief Tom Hallion told a pool reporter after the game that it was an incorrect call after looking at replay.
"The ball goes in the glove and comes out of the glove with Kendrick diving back in and with Segura diving back for the ball," Hallion told the reporter. "Obviously, Mike was in the right position to make a pickoff play call like that. But the way that the play developed, the ball comes free and rolls right in Segura's bare hand and he comes up shows him the ball."
After Hernandez's double, Rodriguez intentionally walked Domonic Brown and then retired Michael Martinez on a grounder to end the game and give the Brewers the 4-3 win.
The call was the first that was later admitted to be in error since Major League Baseball admitted that an entire crew blew a call - even after looking at a replay - on what should have been a home run in the ninth inning for the Oakland Athletics against the Cleveland Indians on May 8. That game also ended 4-3, a win for the Indians.
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