Dodgers Advance to NLCS After Controversial Finish
Of course the epic Dodgers-Giants National League Division Series had to end in controversy. And, of course, a former New York Mets infielder had to be at center of attention.
The Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Francisco Giants last night 2-1, winning their epic back-and-forth Division Series three-games-to-two to advance to the NLCS for the fifth time in the last six seasons. The Dodgers will face the Atlanta Braves on Saturday night in Game 1 down in Atlanta.
Around 12:30 a.m. ET, the Dodgers had just grabbed a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth inning on a Cody Bellinger RBI single. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to bring in one of his starters, Max Scherzer — the former Washington Nationals All-Star, and future Hall of Famer, to close the game out.
From complete games, to no-hitters, to a World Series championship in 2019 with the Nationals, Scherzer had never closed out a game as a reliever in his career. With Kris Bryant on first base thanks to a fielding error by Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, and two out, all Scherzer needed was to retire former Mets infielder Wilmer Flores to send LA back to the LCS.
He did just that.
Sort of.
Flores appeared to have checked his swing on a slider outside the plate on 0-2, but was wrung up by first base umpire Gabe Morales, who said that Flores didn’t check his swing. Of course if you watched the game, you would have seen that Flores checked. It should have been a ball and a 1-2 count.
Max Scherzer sends the #Dodgers to the NLCS with a highly controversial check swing strikeout call against Wilmer Flores.
— John Sparaco™ (@JohnSparaco) October 15, 2021
An unfortunate ending to a magical season by the #SFGiants. It’s a shame one of these teams had to go home tonight. What a series 👏pic.twitter.com/6gXbzo3FKQ
Morales has been ravaged on social media ever since.
Gabe Morales should be ashamed of himself making a call like that to end the NLDS.. that is trash. Nowhere near a swing.. Wilmer Flores was robbed there. Unbelievable. That’s sickening. Shouldn’t be there if he can’t handle the moment
— George Kontos (@G_Kontos) October 15, 2021
That's two years in a row a terrible call has ended the Giants' season. First Rob Drake, now Gabe Morales. That shouldn't be how a classic is remembered.
— Mark W. Sanchez (@MarkWSanchez) October 15, 2021
Gabe Morales trying to avoid Giant fans walking out of the stadium pic.twitter.com/MqOQE2kZhW
— RFERG26 (Reid) #AnnieJanuaryDefender 💫⭐️🌟 (@Rferg26) October 15, 2021
To be fair to Morales, trying to make that call from the first base bag in a pressure situation at game speed is not easy. Even if a ball were called, there is no guarantee that Flores gets on base. Scherzer could still strike him out on the next pitch. It’s the ultimate “what if” moment. It’s the ultimate beauty of baseball: the human element.
Of course check swings are not reviewable in Major League Baseball. Don’t be surprised if that might change. This will be a hot topic for sure come the Winter Meetings in December, and of course, during CBA negotiations which are to heat up this offseason. Remember that baseball has been flirting with the idea of robotic umpires for few years now. Thursday’s Game 5 will only intensify that argument.
