The A’s were down two runs with two on and two outs when Marcus Semien stepped up with a chance to shift the game. On a 2-2 count, he hit a breaking ball down the right field line. Retic couldn’t make a clean play on it, and there was immediate confusion. The bullpen catcher said it was foul, fans near the play said it was fair. The umpires called it foul and went to replay. Live, it looked foul, but slow-motion showed chalk flying up near the line—a sign the ball might have hit fair territory. Despite that, the replay review confirmed the foul call.
Bob Melvin tried to argue, pointing to the chalk and saying it hit the line. He didn’t push too far though, knowing he couldn’t argue a replay. He vented a little but avoided getting tossed. Semien ended up grounding out, ending the threat. After returning to the dugout, Semien kept shouting about the call. Eventually, the home plate umpire had enough and ejected him. Melvin protested again but stayed in the game. The A’s lost a chance to come back and lost their leadoff guy too. Just another frustrating moment in a season with a few already for Melvin.