Controversial Called Strike Ends Padres' Season

The San Diego Padres were eliminated 3-1 by the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series after home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called a full-count strike on Xander Bogaerts in the ninth inning that many Padres said ended their comeback following Jackson Merrill’s leadoff homer. Video shows Bogaerts and Jose Iglesias confronting Reyburn as he exited through the visiting dugout, with manager Mike Shildt and coaches restraining players and later criticizing the call. Padres players and commentators said the pitch appeared well below the zone, while MLB.com’s box score, Baseball Savant tracking data and broadcasters suggested it may have clipped the strike zone and pointed to catcher framing. MLB and the umpiring crew had not publicly commented as reports were published. The episode has intensified calls for Major League Baseball’s Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system, set to debut next season, which would have allowed a review of the play.