The Philadelphia Phillies came away with a win on Sunday Night Baseball against the Atlanta Braves in a see-saw battle that was all kinds of fun. Each team hit three home runs, including a Phillies' go-ahead homer from Didi Gregorius, a game-tying shot for the Braves from Freddie Freeman, another go-ahead shot for the Phillies from Bryce Harper and then another Braves' game-tying homer from Ronald Acuna.
The difference ended up coming in the bottom of the ninth when Gregorius hit a sac fly, plating Alec Bohm from third base. Replay upheld the call and the Phillies won, 7-6.
It was an awfully close call and some views seemed to show it was possible Bohm missed home plate. Here's the play with a slow-motion replay included:
It's pretty clear that Bohm's foot hits on one side of the plate and then another side of it. The question here is if some part of his cleats brushed any part of the plate as his foot kind of went over the plate.
After the game, Phillies manager Joe Girardi said in their dugout they believed Bohm's "big toe" glanced the plate (via Jayson Stark). Braves starting pitcher Drew Smyly called it "embarrassing." Braves manager Brian Snitker, who was ejected after the call stood,
"I wondered until I saw a certain angle, it confirmed what I thought: that he didn't touch the plate," Snitker told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "It's frustrating sometimes. That's what I told the umpires. I got a view on the big screen that he didn't touch the plate."
Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner, who obviously doesn't really have bias in the situation, weighed in with his thoughts:
Absolutely brutal, saw two angles that were clear he never touched the plate and we get a call stands? I’m with everyone else, what’s the point of replay? https://t.co/4F1bZAzNCX
— Justin Turner (@redturn2) April 12, 2021
It seems like whoever is running the Phillies' Twitter account believes Bohm didn't touch the plate, because they posted a video that cuts out immediately before the slow-motion close up of Bohm's foot and the plate.
SAFE. pic.twitter.com/4zScXL44M0
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 12, 2021
There's a super-slow-motion video in here (around the 45-second mark) that really seems to show Bohm missing the plate. Is the threshold of conclusive evidence to overturn the call met, though?
Former Marlins president David Samson broke down the controversy on the latest Nothing Personal with David Samson. Listen below:
Regardless of where anyone's opinion on the matter lies, the Phillies won the game and are now 6-3. The Braves take the loss and sit at 4-5.
