The Cincinnati Reds third baseman used the new ABS challenge system in a game against the Boston Red Sox, eliminating consecutive erroneous strike three calls from home plate umpire CB Bucknor, one of MLB’s least popular umpires.
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With a 1-2 count and two outs against Red Sox reliever Ryan Watson, Suarez called for a strike that ended up being down and in, then another called for a strike that turned out to be a couple of inches in. Bucknor had made both strike calls with vigor, only to be dismissed by camera and computer.
The Great American Ballpark crowd loved it.
The two pardons ended up not helping Suárez, who grounded out to the shortstop on the next pitch. However, the Reds won the match 5-3.Those overturned strikes were two of six pitches in which Bucknor’s eight-challenge decision was overturned. This is the kind of thing that fans and players have been dreaming about with the introduction of ABS.
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However, one area where ABS did not help was an inning-ending at-bat for Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story, who struck out on a check swing call. That decision also seemed incorrect, although control changes are officially a decision of the referees and therefore not questionable.
What gets strange though is that Bucknor didn’t do what 99% of referees do in that situation and appeal to the referee with the best view to make the decision. Story was furious and Red Sox manager Alex Cora ended up being ejected after intervening to protect his player.
Cora’s take on Bucknor’s day, via The Athletic:
“He’s got a job to do, which is call balls and strikes,” said manager Alex Cora, who was ejected in the eighth. “It wasn’t his best day. That’s what the system does. It’s there, everyone sees it, and he’ll be the first to accept it. I saw him hang his head after one of the challenges. And we’re all human. It’s not easy what we do and what he does.”
The Reds’ victory evens the series after Boston’s 3-0 victory on Thursday, with Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early and the Reds’ Rhett Lowder scheduled to start Sunday’s game.