McCutchen out for running out of the baseline when he didn't, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the seventh inning of a tied game between the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies, the Phillies have a runner on first base with one out. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins grounds a ball to New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who fields it and attempts to throw to first for the double play. Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen is running down the first base line and the umpire calls him out for running outside the baseline, even though replays clearly show McCutchen running in a straight line. Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi immediately argues the call, pointing out McCutchen's footprints to demonstrate that he stayed within the baseline. "Look at my footprints," Girardi says. "He came from this way, he was going that way. He's probably pretty close, the poo's fresh." However, the umpire stands by the call and the inning-ending double play is recorded. Phillies star Bryce Harper, watching from the dugout, is furious. "That's f---ing terrible," Harper yells. "You are too. Yeah, yeah, go, go. That's f---ing hard, terrible, that's horrible." The umpire appears flustered, asking "I think he's talking to me. I think he's talking about me. Oh my God, that's bad. Did I make a bad call?" , the baseball analyst providing commentary, agrees that the call was "completely baffling." He explains that as long as a baserunner establishes their baseline and doesn't deviate from it, they are within the rules. "Cutch only runs in a straight line, he never - that's where the tag would have been. So if there's any avoidance, he ran in a straight line and then he went down for the slide and he slid in the vicinity of the bag." Despite the clear evidence, the umpire's "judgment call" on McCutchen's baseline cannot be reviewed, much to the frustration of the Phillies dugout. This controversial and seemingly incorrect call ends the inning and leaves the game tied heading to the eighth.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentmets and phillies are tied up bottom
seventh but the phillies have a runner
on first they got
action happening alonzo says no let's
just turn to doo doo doo doo
2 0 pitch and that's exactly what they
get a little squib
to lindor who chases cuts down doesn't
get the tag safe at first man they got
no outs
now the phillies are set up perfectly
they got two on
with only one out in a tie game but
lendore's running off the field and
cutch says what
they called him out they said he ran out
of the baseline and kutch is like
whoa are you talking hey look at my
footprints hey look at my footprints i
look at my footprints
and then girardi comes out and now
they're just going david crockett daniel
boone on their ass just like
look at these footprints but look at
these footprints he came from this way
he was going that way he's probably
pretty close
the pooh's fresh and then girardi just
can't believe it i think i don't they
i heard this was a rookie umpire i'm not
positive baffling
really baffling we've had two calls this
april
that are just completely baffling now
you know the grass
doesn't really mean anything the base
runner establishes
his baseline and as long as he doesn't
deviate from the line that he
established he's fine so kutch
only runs in a straight line he never
that's where the tag would have been so
if there's any avoidance he ran in a
straight line
and then he went down for the slide and
he slid
in the vicinity of the bag like that
right foot
comes down it's not on the bag but it's
in the vicinity of the bag and that ump
says that he
went out of the baseline to avoid the
tag and then he was called safe at first
base
but he's out so the umps just completely
botched his whole play they
got nothing right they go to review they
cannot
review the baseline call because it's a
judgment call
which i never get why don't we just
watch the replays and make a new
judgment
since obviously that one seems faulty uh
and they say he was out at first base
and they can't review the other one
that's [ __ ] cut says so now it's the
inning ending double play
it's crazy and bryce harper's on the
bench just
screaming [ __ ] you
[ __ ] you that's terrible
you are too yeah yeah go
go that's [ __ ] hard terrible that's
horrible and then this guy's like i
think he's talking to me i think he's
talking about me oh my god that's bad
it's bad did i make a bad call yeah man
you made such a bad call