There were a lot of happy humans leaving the ballpark after the White Sox wild walk off win on Sunday afternoon, Royals manager Mike Matheny wasn’t one of them.
Another Chapter To The Rivalry
The White Sox and Royals found themselves deadlocked in a back and forth affair in the bottom of the ninth inning that saw four different lead changes. The Royals drew first blood in the first inning after Salvador Perez capitalized on a Yasmani Grandal passed ball with a RBI sac-fly. Adam Eaton responded in the fifth inning with a two out, go ahead two-run homer to right center field.
The Royals recaptured the lead in the seventh inning after Whit Merrifield drove in a run on a soft tapper that Jose Abreu could not corral to throw home. Then Carlos Santana drove in Cam Gallagher on a sac-fly to right field.
With the threat of losing the series looming in the bottom of the ninth, the White Sox rallied. Tim Anderson doubled, and Adam Eaton moved him over to third base with a bunt. Yoan Moncada knotted the game at three runs apiece with an RBI single. Jose Abreu got hit by a pitch a batter later moving the go-ahead run into scoring position. It looked as if Yermin Mercedes had won the game after he singled to right field but Whit Merrifield gunned down Yoan Moncada at home to save the game.
After sitting through a game that toyed with his emotions all day it is understandable why Mike Matheny was livid with what transpired next.
Wild walk-off win
With two outs and the go-ahead run 90 feet from home, Wade Davis was desperately trying to extend the game into extra innings. He had the a great opportunity to do so with the .132 hitting Yasmani Grandal at the plate.
On a 1-1 count Davis spiked a 83 mph knuckle curve into the dirt that got away from catcher Cam Gallagher. Jose Abreu came barreling home and Gallagher dove after him an attempt to tag Abreu as he slid in. He was called safe but after replay review the call was not so cut and dry.
There goes our MVP! #ChangetheGame pic.twitter.com/crwatg1tvL
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 16, 2021
The play was very close and it appeared that Gallagher may have gotten apiece of Abreu before his hand touched the plate. But the MLB deemed there was not enough conclusive evidence to overturn the call. As a result the White Sox claimed the 4-3 victory.
Mike Matheny was livid after the game.
Matheny suggest MLB is covering for umpires
During his postgame press conference Mike Matheny shared his opinion with the replay review that ended in the incorrect call.
“If we’re going to use video replay, there needs to be some accountability. I just walked in here and had two different camera angels with this guy out. Tagged before he ever touched the plate and very obvious. I don’t know what they’re doing, backing each other up, whatever it is. It’s wrong.”
He went onto say
“Game that hard played, that well fought all the way to the end and they got the opportunity to take that much time and for appearances it looks like the don’t wanna bring them back out while they’re here with this crowd. It’s just wrong and something needs to be done about it”.
Matheny seems to be suggesting that the MLB is covering for the on field umpires to make them look better. While it wouldn’t have been surprising if Abreu was called out, that is a bold accusation. At the very least Matheny wanted the replay review that literally decided the outcome of the game to take a bit longer.
He has a fair gripe. It will be interesting to see how the MLB responds to his gripe. For now the White Sox will head to Minnesota happy while Matheny and the Royals continue to stew.
