He added that plays at the plate happen in a hurry and there’s a lot of moving parts in a couple seconds. “But ultimately, we’ve got to be able to go get the ball.”ĭiamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo agreed that the rule is simple, even if the interpretation is not. “You’ve got to be conscious of what you’re doing, where you’re positioned,” Kelly said. But umpires’ willingness to rule in favor of baserunners is arguably a new development.ĭiamondbacks catcher Carson Kelly said he understands both sides of the debate. The rule has been around for several years: It was changed in 2014 and is colloquially called the “Buster Posey rule” after the All-Star catcher suffered a broken ankle on a play at the plate. Even if the plate isn’t completely blocked, it makes for a more difficult sliding target for the baserunner.Īt that point, it becomes a judgment call. Many times, that means the catcher moves a foot in front or on top of the plate. The problem is the catcher is trying to get in good position to field the ball, adjusting to the trajectory of the throw. MLB rules state that “unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score.” So are the catchers right? As with many things, it’s complicated. “I thought I did everything the way we practice: Step back, give him a lane, not throw the knee in front,” Nola said. Hedges was particularly angry, calling the reversal “embarrassing.” The Padres and Guardians are both fighting for playoff spots. The plays were strikingly similar: Cleveland’s Austin Hedges and San Diego’s Austin Nola each tagged out a runner at the plate, but on review, it was ruled that the catchers failed to give a clear lane for the runner to score and the call was overturned. The first was in Washington’s 4-3 win over the San Diego Padres and the other was in Detroit’s 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Two MLB games over the past 10 days were partially decided after video replay overturned plays at the plate, favoring baserunners over the catcher.

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