The Twins and Blue Jays were tied 2-2 in the 10th inning when one of the most controversial umpiring decisions in recent memory went down. Whit Merrifield tagged from third on a fly ball and was thrown out at home by new Twins outfielder Tim Beckham. Catcher Gary Sánchez made what looked like a textbook play. He set up with a legal lane, timed his block for when the ball hit his glove, and tagged Merrifield out. The call on the field was out. Then came the replay.
Toronto challenged under Rule 7.13, known as the Buster Posey Rule, arguing Sánchez blocked the plate without the ball. The replay showed Sánchez moving only to where the throw led him, keeping a lane up to the point he received the ball. There was no clear violation, and yet the call was somehow overturned. Merrifield was ruled safe, and Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli lost it. He went off on the umpires, ripping his hat, yelling obscenities, and kicking dirt before getting tossed. He insisted no one overturns that play and that the call was outrageous.
Even though the Twins escaped the inning on a later play, they ended up losing. The call from New York, not the play on the field, decided the game. Sánchez looked stunned. He followed the rule exactly, yet got punished. The field crew got it right, but the remote review didn’t back them up. Baldelli spoke for most viewers with his reaction, calling it pathetic and one of the worst calls he’s seen in baseball.