Umpire’s disputable foul call on Gleyber Torres flare thwarts Yankees chance to score in ALDS Game 3
By Dan Martin,
6 hours ago
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Not that they needed it, but the Yankees didn’t get much help from the umpires in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over the Royals in Game 3 of the ALDS that put them a win away from the ALCS.
First, the Yankees seemingly missed out on a great chance to take the lead in the top of the third, as Gleyber Torres’ flare down the right field line was ruled foul by right field umpire Ryan Blakney, who was only a few feet away from the play.
The call was reviewed but not overturned, despite one replay angle showing the chalk of the foul line possibly being hit.
The play occurred with Oswaldo Cabrera at first and two out against Seth Lugo at Kauffman Stadium.
The speedy Cabrera almost certainly would have scored on the play, but the replay official did not see an angle that definitively showed the ball hitting the line.
The game remained scoreless and Torres flied out to the warning track in right to end the inning.
After the Yankees later blew what was a two-run leaf when Clarke Schmidt allowed a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, they saw another potential rally cut short by a debatable call, this one from first base ump Mark Carlson.
With Juan Soto on first and two out, Aaron Judge worked a full count against Brady Singer.
Singer’s final pitch of the at-bat was outside the strike zone and Judge started to swing, but the pitch was called a ball and Judge prepared to walk to first.
But Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez asked to check with Carlson, who ruled Judge went around for a third strike to end the inning.
Again, replays showed Judge probably didn’t swing at the pitch and should have ended up at first base, with Soto at second and Austin Wells at the plate.
It hasn’t all been bad luck for the Yankees, as in Game 1, they may have caught a break with the replay system, as Jazz Chisholm Jr. could have been called out on a stolen base attempt , but the safe call was upheld.
Chisholm then scored the go-ahead run on an Alex Verdugo single that proved to be the difference in the game.
For the latest in sports, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/sports/
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.