Mel Kelly took the mound in the seventh with a 4-2 lead for the Diamondbacks. After giving up a leadoff double, he faced Tyler O’Neill representing the tying run. Kelly worked him with a mix of pitches—curveball, changeup, cutter—eventually getting to a full count. On a 2-2 pitch, O’Neill offered at a changeup away, but the umpire ruled he checked his swing. Kelly and Arizona manager Torey Lovullo thought otherwise. Both made it clear. Kelly walked O’Neill on a close pitch, ending his night.
On his way off the mound, Kelly had words for third base umpire Laz Diaz and got tossed. Lovullo came out hot and unloaded on Diaz, repeatedly calling it the worst call he’d ever seen. He insisted everyone in the park knew O’Neill swung and wasn’t shy about saying it. The inning ended with more bark than bite, but the tension between the D-backs and the umpiring crew was real. Lovullo let it all out before walking off. Kelly was already gone. The call stood. No swing, no strikeout, and no more Mel Kelly.