Tomoyuki Sugano was solid (ish) for the Baltimore Orioles tonight against Boston at Camden Yards. He put the Birds in a spot to win the game, which is the goal of a starter. Could he have been better? Yes. But he sufficed. Sugano’s line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K.
Boston took an early lead when Anthony smacked a pitch out of the ballpark during the first at-bat of the game. But Sugano seemed to settle, despite being thrown off kilter early on. Luckily Colton Cowser tied the game in the second with a solo homer of his own.
Cowser would come to the plate again an inning later in the third, and he would do so with the bases loaded. His two-RBI single would give the Orioles. 3-1 lead. However Boston wasn’t finished either.
Duran would come up in the fifth with two on, and would deliver. His three-run home run gave Boston a 4-3 lead. And the Orioles had no response – save for one thing.
Dylan Carlson and the O’s caught a break on his lead off double in the seventh. The ball hit third base umpire Nick Mahrley, and Carlson ended up at second base. Luis Vasquez promptly laid down a bunt back to the pitcher, who threw to third to get Carlson, who was ruled safe.
However Boston challenged the play. Unequivocally, it was a close play – a bang-bang play. The call on the field was safe, which would have given the Orioles runners at the corners with nobody out.
Replays appeared to show that the runner could be out. But was it conclusive? Needless to say, the umpiring crew thought it was. The call was overturned, and the O’s were out of their best chance at evening the score.
My personal opinion is that the runner was probably out. But was there enough evidence to overturn the call on the field? That’s the real question regarding instant replay. It’s not necessarily whether the call should be safe or out. Everything else be damned, it’s supposed to be whether or not the call on the field was overturned.
In my assessment, NO, in this instance there WAS NOT sufficient evidence to overturn the call on the field. So the call should have stood, despite me in the same breath saying that the runner was out. Yes folks, this stuff isn’t easy. We do ourselves a disservice by suggesting that it is, and if the right call is made that’s the goal. Everything else be damned.
If there’s not enough evidence to overturn the call on the field, the call needs to stand. The way we’re supposed to do things is that these are the rules and regulations, and you can’t make exceptions. Yet Boston seemed to get the benefit of the doubt on the call. It was no guarantee that the Orioles would have scored in that sequence of events. But every little bit helps.
The series continues tomorrow night at Camden Yards. Kyle Bradish will make his season debut and make the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Boston’s Lucas Giolito. Game time is set for just after 6:30 PM.
Birdland Crush 