Jackson Chourio had never experienced an occurrence quite like the dramatic events that unfolded during the ninth inning of the matchup with the San Diego Padres.
Brewers skipper Pat Murphy called upon Trevor Megill to secure a four-out save, a task he successfully completed despite a fair share of debate.
With one runner on base and one out recorded, Megill went up against cleanup batter Ty France. France launched a high-arcing fly ball toward left field, which ended up striking a support cable because the roof at American Family Field was drawn shut for the opening game of the National League Division Series.
While France felt certain the hit was a home run, the baseball descended straight into Chourio’s mitt, leaving the umpires with no alternative but to rule it an out.
Following a lengthy deliberation, the official ruling on the playing field remained an out, which greatly frustrated the commentators on the FOX broadcast.
As the ground rules were clarified, observers slowly grasped the situation, but the Padres quickly mounted a challenge, arguing the baseball was heading foul and therefore should have been declared a dead ball.
This appeared to be San Diego’s sole recourse if they couldn’t get a home run ruling, but the decision on the field was ultimately upheld, and Megill needed just two more pitches to get the last out and seal a 3-2 win for Milwaukee.
Modern baseball heavily relies on data, and according to Statcast, France’s towering drive would have cleared the fence in only a single MLB stadium, which was not the venue in Milwaukee.
The ball left France’s bat at a speed of 105.3 mph with an exceptionally steep 49-degree launch angle, a trajectory that would have resulted in a home run solely at Houston’s Daikin Park.
Of course, these analytical measurements played no role in the official review or the actual outcome, but they offer some context to San Diego supporters who feel their team was robbed of a late-game, go-ahead home run during the final frame.
As pointed out by Adam McCalvy of the Brewers, the official guidelines dictate that when a ball contacts the roof, support trusses, or overhead cables within fair territory, the batter is retired if a defender catches it.
Conversely, if the contact occurs in foul territory, it becomes a dead ball, a detail that the television crew explained during one of the most bizarre playoff scenarios in recent history.
Neither club could have anticipated such a bizarre climax to Game 1, but if this opening contest is any indication, fans should prepare themselves for an incredibly wild ride throughout the remainder of this best-of-five series.
