Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez: 2 Umpires Told Me I Was Safe At Plate On Pivotal Play
(CBS) Before Game 4 of the National League Championship Series got out of hand Wednesday, there was a pivotal play in the second inning that went the Cubs' way.
With two outs and the slow-footed Adrian Gonzalez on second base, Dodgers outfielder Andrew Toles lined a single to right field, where the Cubs' Jason Heyward field the ball cleanly but hesitated before throwing home. The throw was slightly up the first-base line, and after catcher Willson Contreras retrieved it, he tagged Gonazlez on the chin at the same time the runner slipped his hand under home plate on a bang-bang play.
Gonzalez was initially called out. Upon video review, the call was upheld, to the shock of the Dodgers and many outside observers. The decision preserved a scoreless tie, and the Dodgers unraveled in the ensuing innings in a 10-2 Cubs victory that left the NLCS tied 2-2.
In postgame interviews, Gonzalez said two of the umpires on the field told him they thought he was safe upon their review of the replay, the Los Angeles Times reported. That didn't matter, as the decision was instead in the hands of those at the off-site replay headquarters.
Gonzalez shared his displeasure on Twitter afterward.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon wasn't sure what call would be made.
"It was awkward," Maddon said. "We thought they may call him safe, we really did.
"I can't tell whether that hand was over the top of the plate or not."
Different angles of the play can lead to different conclusions. It was simply that close.
