In the top of the tenth, Phillies had runners on second and third with one out in a tie game against the Nationals. A chopper led to confusion in the infield. A run scored, but Washington thought they’d thrown the runner out at home. The umpires called obstruction on the Nationals’ fielder, saying he got in the runner’s way after making his play on the ball. Davey Martinez erupted. He argued the fielder had a real shot at making a play and was trying to field the ball, not block the runner. The ump said the contact happened after the attempt and that the fielder had to get out of the way. Martinez disagreed, got ejected, and let the ump have it, yelling “I’m in your damn face” as he chased him down.
The call stood. Game resumed. Nationals got one run in the bottom of the tenth but fell short. The Phillies’ obstruction call ended up being the deciding run in a one-run win. Afterward, the umpires doubled down, saying the fielder had already completed his attempt to play the ball at the time of contact. It didn’t sit well with Washington or with others who watched the footage. The replay showed the contact happened during what looked like an active effort by the fielder. Even the commentary questioned the logic, pointing out that the explanation didn’t line up with what they saw on screen. Ultimately, a close ruling decided the outcome, leaving the Nationals with a tough loss fueled by a controversial judgment call.