Craig Counsell got tossed again, marking back-to-back ejections for the Cubs manager. This one came in the bottom of the ninth in a 2-2 game after a strange infield play. The leadoff runner hit a dribbler with a ton of spin. The catcher fielded it, but the throw to first wasn’t in time. The throw had some funk, and the Cubs argued interference, saying the runner was inside the baseline. Counsell came out to argue, saying the catcher couldn’t make a clear throw. But since there was no contact or obvious interference with the first baseman, the umps let the play stand.
Counsell didn’t let it go. He walked back out to keep pushing, asked the ump to check with someone else, and got tossed immediately. The Philly crowd erupted, waving him off gleefully. The first baseman may have had a play, but the runner beat the throw. The rule’s murky unless the runner gets hit or clearly blocks the throw. Cubs didn’t get the call.
Later in the inning, the Cubs tried to turn two on a ground ball. The batter was ruled safe at first, but the Cubs challenged. The replay was razor-close. The ball hit the glove just before the foot landed, based on slow-motion frame-by-frame review. Seemed like an out, but the umps let the original safe call stand. Turner sat on the bench stunned. Cubs got the next two outs and escaped the jam. No idea how the game ended, but that sequence had enough chaos on its own.