The current baseball year for the San Diego Padres came to a conclusion Thursday, and it seems they have some grievances as they depart.
Following eight innings of being stifled by the Chicago Cubs, the Padres managed to register a run in the ninth inning thanks to a solo home run by Jackson Merrill. The subsequent batter, Xander Bogaerts, battled to a full count against relief pitcher Brad Keller, whose final delivery was deemed a ball.
Bogaerts definitely appeared to believe it was a ball, as he commenced his walk to first base before umpire D.J. Reyburn called him out on strikes. Bogaerts then exchanged words with Reyburn and was briefly accompanied by Padres manager Mike Shildt before heading to the dugout.
That particular call proved to be quite impactful. Keller then hit the next two batters, placing two runners on base with one out and a two-run advantage. Had Bogaerts successfully reached base, the bases would have been loaded with no outs.
Subsequently, Andrew Kittredge entered the game in place of Keller and retired the following two batters, sealing the Padres’ season with a 3-1 victory for the Cubs. It’s impossible to predict how the inning would have unfolded had Bogaerts been awarded the walk, but the event perfectly illustrates why players are eagerly awaiting the implementation of the automated ball-strike system in MLB in 2026.
Bogaerts is among those players, based on his statements to the San Diego Union-Tribune post-game:
“What do you want me to say now?” Bogaerts inquired. “It’s clearly a ball. It altered the entire course of the game, you know? I mean, we can’t turn back time, and discussing it now won’t change anything. So, it was a poor call, and thankfully, we have ABS coming next year, because this is simply unacceptable.”
The ninth-inning at-bat of Xander Bogaerts might have been a pivotal moment in the Padres’ season. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
(The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Of course, that particular ball-strike determination wasn’t the singular reason for the Padres’ defeat. There were also the eight innings during which they couldn’t score against Cubs starter Jameson Taillon and the Chicago bullpen, as well as Yu Darvish’s abbreviated start that placed further strain on an already taxed bullpen. Nonetheless, it’s tempting to contemplate the arrival of the day when such instances can be rectified with a simple gesture from the batter.
Presently, the Padres are poised to enter a challenging offseason following a disappointing season in which they executed significant acquisitions at the MLB trade deadline but ultimately fell short of surpassing the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.
