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WASHINGTON — In the evening game of a doubleheader in which extra innings were forced by a throwing error in the ninth inning at shortstop, the outcome of a Phillies 8-7 win over the Nationals at Nationals Park was decided by a disputed game at the same location.
In a 6-6 tie, the Phillies opened the 10th inning with Kyle Schwarber as an automatic runner in second place. Rhys Hoskins pulled a walk in front of Steve Cishek and Nick Castellanos grounded the runners into second and third place.
As JT Realmuto broke into midfield, Schwarber got the go-ahead and Lane Thomas fired the ball home to slam Hoskins, the trail runner, onto the plate. But the game was abandoned and the insurance run was credited to the Phillies when second base umpire and team boss Dan Iassogna called shortstop Luis García for obstructing Hoskins on the base paths. Nationals manager Dave Martinez was ejected from Iassogna.
what is the rule
Rule 6.01(h) states, “When interference occurs, the umpire shall call or indicate ‘interference.’
(1) If the disabled runner is played, or if the batter-runner is disabled before it touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners must, without being put out, advance to the bases they do would, in the opinion of the referee, have been achieved if there had been no interference. The disabled runner must be awarded at least one base beyond the base he last legally touched prior to the disability. All leading runners forced to advance by awarding bases as a penalty for interference must advance without disclaimer.
Iassogna, to a pool reporter: “In this case, we felt that the outfield player had already tried to play the ball and then contact happened. Once he does, he must vacate, avoiding the runner. So if he’s trying to catch the ball, once we feel he’s done that, he’s trying to catch the ball, it’s his job to get out of the way of the runner. I know it was very close when that happened and it’s a decision. It’s a very brief verdict.
“If we felt like he was about to catch the ball, we wouldn’t normally have called a handicap. But we felt he already had an opportunity to catch the ball and then the contact came later. And then it goes defensive to avoid the offensive player. And then we felt like Hoskins would have scored without the contact because of the contact. So we put him at home.”
What did the Nationals say?
Martinez: “[I was frustrated with] all. It was an interference and then they obstructed Luis. So if [Hoskins] gets obstructed, he’s awarded third base, he’s not awarded a home. After he touches third base and rounds base, it’s fair game to me. He was thrown 40 feet. So what do we do? Really what do we do? He told me Luis had plenty of time to catch the ball. The ball was in front of Luis when he met Hoskins. So what do we do? Honestly what do we do?”
Garcia: “What can I say, to be honest with all due respect, I just don’t agree with the call. … I was still trying to catch the ball.” (Editor’s note: These were two answers combined into one.)
Juan Soto: “It’s quite a difficult decision. I spoke to one of the referees the other day and he told me that in games like this, the outfield players always have the advantage. They cover all the time until they catch the ball. And it didn’t happen in that time. I was just a little confused about it. I think Luis should be protected by that ball because that’s what he was after, and [Hoskins] knows where he was and he should walk around him. But at the end of the day they called. It went [Philadelphia’s] gone and we just couldn’t help it.”
Hoskins: “I’m aware of the rules of engagement, but I don’t know them down to the last detail [third base coach Dusty Wathan] does. I later learned that if the runner’s intention was not to score from the start, I would have been eliminated. So while I’m third round [Wathan] says, “Don’t stop! Do not stop! You’ll be out, but don’t slow down!’ Props to him for knowing exactly what the rule is in the blink of an eye.”
Bryce Harper: “It just goes to show how great a baseball mind is [Wathan] Has. I think everyone in the dugout thought so. That was such a great baseball game.”
Interim Manager Rob Thomson: “[Wathan] knows the obstruction rule. it was big Really smart.”
