The atmosphere at American Family Field was electric as Sal Frelick dashed from third base, igniting a collective roar from the crowd. However, when home-plate umpire Ryan Additon waved his arms in the air, confusion and frustration swept over the Brewers.
For the second consecutive game, a pivotal call didn’t favor Milwaukee. In Monday night’s 1-0 loss to the Rays at American Family Field, the umpires ruled backswing interference on Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers during a strikeout, thwarting the tying run from scoring and preventing the winning run from advancing to third base. Brewers manager Pat Murphy voiced his disagreement with the call and was subsequently ejected for arguing in the ninth inning.
Murphy acknowledged the frustration but emphasized the need to move on, noting that such situations arise frequently in one-run games and the importance of getting the calls right.
Despite being held scoreless for eight innings, the Brewers mounted a ninth-inning rally against Jason Adam while trailing 1-0. Sal Frelick’s leadoff double and Willy Adames’ subsequent walk set the stage for the controversial play. Bauers swung and missed at a slider from Adam, but the ball eluded catcher René Pinto and then struck Pinto’s helmet during Bauers’ backswing.
Crew chief Chris Guccione cited specific rules from the rulebook to justify the interference call, explaining the sequence of events and the enforcement of the rule.
Although frustration mounted following the disputed call, the Brewers faced disappointment in a loss despite a strong pitching performance from Bryse Wilson.
Guccione explained that had Bauers only had one strike against him, he wouldn’t have been ruled out in that instance. Instead, it would have been considered strike two, but the runners would still have been required to return to their original bases.
Adam recalled observing the umpire signaling a dead ball immediately but was unsure of the specific call made regarding interference, though it pertained to the backswing.
Following Additon’s decision to rule Bauers out and instruct Frelick to return to third base, Murphy approached the field seeking clarification and subsequently contested the call, resulting in his ejection. Murphy maintained his disagreement postgame, arguing that the interference occurred after the ball had passed Pinto.
Guccione reiterated that the interference call was based on the backswing, emphasizing that the catcher’s attempt to retrieve the ball did not alter the ruling. He asserted that the interference was clear upon reviewing the video, indicating that the rule cited by Murphy was irrelevant in this context.
Subsequent to Bauers being called out, Adam’s pitch hit Rhys Hoskins, loading the bases. Blake Perkins then struck out swinging, concluding the game.
With Monday’s controversial call adding to the frustration following Sunday’s disputed ruling and the Brewers’ loss despite a strong pitching performance from Bryse Wilson, emotions were running high.
Bauers, reflecting on the situation postgame, expressed disappointment in his own performance rather than blaming the umpires, noting that avoiding swinging at a low slider could have prevented the predicament.
