The Phillies and Mets were tied in the bottom of the seventh when chaos broke out on a routine fielder’s choice. With a runner on first, Andrew McCutchen hit a slow roller to Francisco Lindor. Lindor tried to tag McCutchen but missed, then threw to first for the out. At first it looked like Philly had runners on first and second with one out, but suddenly Lindor jogged off the field, and McCutchen was ruled out for running out of the baseline.
McCutchen was stunned. He pointed to the ground, showing his footprints stayed straight. Joe Girardi stormed out and joined the argument. He and McCutchen tried to explain that there was no deviation from the path. The call stood. Then it got worse. The runner going to first was ruled out too, making it an inning-ending double play. Harper, already pulled from the game, lost it in the dugout, repeatedly yelling at the umpires.
The baseline ruling couldn’t be reviewed, since it’s a judgment call. But the argument didn’t make sense. McCutchen ran straight, never veered, and wasn’t really avoiding a tag since Lindor never came close. The Mets benefited from a massive umpire mistake, and the Phillies got burned by a call no one could explain.