Brewers manager Pat Murphy credited the team’s legendary late broadcaster Bob Uecker for an unlikely boost in the ninth inning to help preserve a 3-2 victory over visiting San Diego in the opener of their playoff series on Saturday.
asserted
Murphy → credit → Saturday
With one out in the ninth and the Brewers clinging to a one-run lead, San Diego had a runner on first when Ty France hit a drive to left field off closer Trevor Megill.
asserted
France → cling → Megill
But the ball struck a roof cable, stayed in play and was caught by Jackson Chourio for the second out.
asserted
ball → strike → out
Megill then retired Jackson Merrill on a fly ball to right field to give Milwaukee the victory.
asserted
Megill → retire → victory
“I think the only thing that you could probably figure on the ball that everybody’s going to be talking about is that [Uecker] decided to put his hand on it and swat it down so Chourio could catch it,” Murphy said.
uncertain
Murphy → think → it
Uecker, who was the radio voice of the Brewers for more than 50 years, died last year at the age of 90.
asserted
who → die → 90
The ground rules for Milwaukee’s American Family Field say that a batted ball that strikes the roof, roof truss, roof cable or any cabling over fair territory is in play.
asserted
that → say → play
If caught by a fielder, the batter is out.
asserted
batter → catch → fielder
If the ball strikes any of those same structures over foul territory, it’s a dead ball.
asserted
it → strike → territory
A third rule says if the ball strikes those structures over fair territory and lands foul, it’s a foul ball.
asserted
it → say → territory
The Padres challenged whether the ball was fair or foul, but the on-field call that it was an out was upheld.
asserted
it → challenge → field
Padres manager Craig Stammen thought the ball would have been a home run if it had not hit the cable, while Murphy believes it would have gone foul.
asserted
it → think → cable
“We joked about it at the umpire meeting today about what would happen if the ball hit the roof,” Stammen said after the game.
asserted
Stammen → joke → game
“And it was unlikely, but it happened.
asserted
it → happen → ?
The rule is if they deemed the ball to be fair and it comes down you can catch it.
asserted
you → deem → it
If it hits off the roof foul, then it’s a foul ball.
asserted
it → hit → foul
So they ruled that it hit the roof fair and the outfielder caught it.
asserted
outfielder → rule → it
Looked like it was a possible home run.
asserted
it → look → ?
Second time that’s happened this year to the Padres.”
asserted
that → happen → Padres
Murphy said from his vantage point, the ball wouldn’t have stayed fair for a homer.
asserted
ball → say → homer
“It was going to be a foul ball for sure,” Murphy said.
asserted
Murphy → go → ?
“I’m standing right on that line, a hitter that talented.”
asserted
I → stand → line
Chourio, who hit a game-tying, two-run homer earlier in the game, said he was just trying to make sure he made the play.
asserted
he → hit → play
“I wasn’t all that sure of what the rule was, and I wasn’t really all that sure that it actually did hit anything,” Chourio said.
asserted
Chourio → hit → anything
“I thought I had a chance on that ball kind of the whole time off the bat.
asserted
I → think → bat
Then the only thing I kind of realized, it changed direction a little bit, but I thought I had a bead on it for the majority of the time.
asserted
I → realize → time
Remarkably, it also wasn’t the first time this season the Padres lost a potential home run to a stadium’s unique ground rules.
asserted
Padres → lose → rules
In August, Xander Bogaerts’s drive struck the catwalk at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field and was caught by Rays third baseman Junior Caminero.
asserted
drive → strike → Caminero
Bogaerts’s drive had been projected by Statcast to go 386ft.
asserted
drive → project → ft
“You would think with all the technology and data and everything we have now, we’d be able to make a clear call on that,” France said.
asserted
France → think → that
“I don’t know if that’s ever been done before, but yeah, there should be something put in place right there.
asserted
that → know → place
In Saturday’s other division series openers, the Rays shut out the Yankees for a 1-0 win, the Dodgers overcame the Braves 5-3 and the White Sox beat the Guardians 3-0.
asserted
Sox → shut → Guardians
The Aporia
