Reproduced with permission from Business Insider
THE BRAVES OUTLASTED the Pirates in controversial fashion last night, scoring the winning run when the home plate umpire ruled that Braves baserunner Julio Lugo somehow avoided the tag of Pirates catcher Michael McKendry.
With the game tied 3-3 in the bottom of the 19th inning, Atlanta’s Scott Proctor hit a dribbler to third. Pirates third basemen Pedro Alvarez threw the ball home well ahead of baserunner Julio Lugo.
McKendry seemed to clearly tag Lugo’s leg before he reached the plate. Lugo himself even looked like he thought he was out.
But umpire Jerry Meals ruled otherwise, and the Pirates bench erupted in anger as the Braves streamed out of the dugout to celebrate.
“I looked at the replays and it appeared he might have got him on the shin area. I’m guessing he might have got him, but when I was out there when it happened I didn’t see a tag,” Meals admitted after the game.
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle was disgusted.
“The game tonight deserved way better than that,” he said.
Check out the video here, since MLB.com won’t let anyone embed video of the umpiring blunder.
- Tony Manfred
