Umpire's 'Blown' Check-Swing Call Ends Epic Dodgers-Giants Series And Stuns Fans
Of course the epic National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants would finish in controversy.
The Giants’ Wilmer Flores struck out on what many believed was a blown check-swing call by first base umpire Gabe Morales. The out preserved the Dodgers’ 2-1 victory in Game 5 on Thursday, allowing the team to advance to the National League Championship Series against Atlanta.
The chances of a Giants rally appeared dim at the time. The count was 0-2, there were two outs, a runner on first, and three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer was pitching. Not to mention that Flores had never gotten a hit off Scherzer before, the San Francisco Chronicle noted.
But the anticlimactic ending to the momentous playoff clash between the historic rivals angered fans. Reporters and Major Leaguers, including the New York Mets’ Kevin Pillar (a former Giant), chimed in, too.
Check out the reactions of what some called “the check swing heard round the world.”
Absolutely unbelievable.
Umpire Gabe Morales eliminated the Giants from the playoffs with a blown check swing call to Wilmer Flores.#Giants#Dodgers#LADvSFpic.twitter.com/8LiUDSR6fo— Umpire Auditor (@UmpireAuditor) October 15, 2021
to end the season. thats brutal. man pic.twitter.com/FFh96PQ4Sa
— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) October 15, 2021
Both teams won 109 games, game comes down to 9th and Giants season ends on a called strike check swing? Terrible for fans, players, and integrity of baseball. Let’s hope Gabe is never an ump on a game with this magnitude again. 🤬
— Colt (@ColtStock) October 15, 2021
— Ryan Gil (@GilRyan_) October 15, 2021
The Check Swing Heard Around the World!!!!#RepeatLA
— Rafaelinho (@AgentRB) October 15, 2021
You cannot end the Giants’ 107-win season on a check swing that wasn’t a swing. Holy fucking shit. pic.twitter.com/SmkkOgEp0H
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) October 15, 2021
Worst call in sports- the check swing- .. terrible way to end this epic series/rivalry. Pitching is so good got to give the hitter a chance to say NO late.
— Kevin Pillar (@KPILLAR4) October 15, 2021
Bullshit!!! A check swing cost us the division. I always say, what goes around, comes around. 😎
— Louie Jimenez (@LouieJimenez18) October 15, 2021
This ain’t even close. Wilmer Flores didn’t go. Suspend that first-base umpire or something.
pic.twitter.com/fvQlwNReRn— Billy Heyen (@BillyHeyen) October 15, 2021
Flores didn’t swing. What a terrible way to end a great game.
— Joel Sherman (@Joelsherman1) October 15, 2021
The Check Swing heard Around the World!!! 😂😂🙌🏽 #Dodgers#doyerspic.twitter.com/zilc3DqCBi
— Roberto Flores (@raider_rob24) October 15, 2021
That was not a swing. Oh man. A total check swing by Flores.
— Rich Eisen (@richeisen) October 15, 2021
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
