Dave Roberts rips umpires over controversial obstruction call

Oct 11, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) reacts during game one of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Padres 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts essentially blamed one controversial call for costing his team the game Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Dodgers fell victim to a controversial obstruction call in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s game. With a runner on second and nobody out, Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh tried to bunt. Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernandez fielded the ball and threw to third in an attempt to get the lead runner, where shortstop Miguel Rojas was covering. Rojas tagged the baserunner, but umpire Hunter Wendelstedt ruled that Rojas impeded the runner.

Roberts went ballistic and got ejected, though it didn’t help matters. The Phillies were trailing by one at the time, but took advantage of the call by scoring four runs en route to a 9-4 win. Roberts was not feeling any better about the call after the game, either, calling Wendelstedt’s ruling “an egregious missed call.”

“He got it wrong,” Roberts said, via Alden Gonzalez of ESPN . “That’s just a fact. Umpiring is hard. They do a great job. Tonight, that play affected the game.

“The rule was to deter guys from blocking the bag to potentially harm a baserunner who’s going in head-first. That’s the genesis of the rule. Miggy’s legs are spread wide once he secured the baseball. So there is a lane. If he was there in time. The ball beat him. There was a lane. He doesn’t know where the runner is going to be sliding. He’s trying to secure the baseball to then turn and make a tag. That’s it. It’s a baseball play.”

Crew chief Marvin Hudson told a pool reporter after the game that Rojas was called for obstruction because he was in front of third base without the ball. The league warned of a much stricter interpretation of the obstruction rule back in spring training, but one could argue that they did not necessarily mean a scenario like this.

Rojas had to move from the shortstop position to cover third. As Roberts said, there was a lane for the baserunner to slide without anyone being put in danger. It’s really hard to figure out what Rojas could have done differently here, and it’s tough to blame the Dodgers for being furious.

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