Umpire Jim Joyce's botched call mars Astros' loss to Indians
CLEVELAND - When the dust settled, and two runners had scored and one manager was ejected, there was no doubt a bouncing baseball had ricocheted off the bat of Lonnie Chisenhall before shooting toward the third-base side of the backstop.
But because the play was not reviewable, a botched call by home-plate umpire Jim Joyce stood as the ruling, marring a September game with postseason implications to the detriment of the Astros.
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The play in question occurred with two outs in the third inning. The bases were loaded. Chisenhall, the Indians' six-hole hitting right fielder, stood in the batter's box. David Paulino, an Astros prospect making his major league debut, was on the mound.
A 2-2 curveball from Paulino bounced before it reached catcher Jason Castro. Chisenhall checked his swing, but the ball bounced off his bat and skirted toward the Indians' dugout. Castro didn't even run after it, so sure of the foul ball he reached back for a new baseball from Joyce.
But Joyce inexplicably ruled a wild pitch. Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli and Jose Ramirez came around to score while Castro pleaded his case. The umpire didn't call time out until Napoli crossed home plate.
http://m.chron.com/sports/astros/article/Umpire-Jim-Joyce-s-botched-call-mars-Astros-loss-9210672.php
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