Sliding Brave Ruins Another Night For the Pirates...Actually Another Ump Blows a Huge Call

You Make the call...hard to see how he is safe by this

This game was a marathon, a classic pitching duel between two great bullpens. The Pirates and the Braves playes 2.07 games last night, 18 innings with the Braves winning with one out in bottom of the 19th. How they both lasted that long, I have no idea. There were plenty of chances for both teams to take the lead, but it never happened. An entire game went by without a single run scored, the second game that is, and it was unclear who would win this ridiculously long ball game. Who knows if it would've gone longer, but Jerry Meals apparently was very tired at 2am and decided enough was enough. Unfortunately that's not how it works in baseball, or for that matter in any sport. A complete, and very dissapointing, blown call at home plate cost the Pirates 6 1/2 hours of hard work, and brilliant work by their bullpen, to go to waste. You can see by the picture above that it is clearly out. McKenry clearly swipes at Julio Lugo, but somehow this means it is out. I guess after 1am, the umps will do anything to stop the game....Even though they don't work until 7pm the next night.

Now you can say that I'm biased, and I probably am, but even the Atlanta and national media are calling this a blown call. Even the Atalanta announcers were suprised that he was called safe. Obviously if you're a Braves fan you'll just say, blown call but I'll take it; and if it went the Pirates way the I would've had the same reaction. However, I am seeing people on twitter who I know aren't Pirates fans saying they want instant replay and how this such a terrible call. Now I'm not a fan of reviewing everything, but after a play like this it's hard to argue against replay for calls at home plate.

And just in case you think my picture is doctored or that the angles make a difference, here's the link to the MLB.com video of both TV and radio from both teams for that play. You can hear the utter disgust in the voice of the Pirates announcer and complete shock from the Braves. I've listened to it a few times and honestly still can't believe what I'm watching.




You guys make the call and leave a comment if he was safe or out.