Blown call hands Dodgers win...costs Nats and Giants.

[Upton]

http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120920&content_id=38709404&vkey=news_was&c_id=was

[quote]Even Matt Kemp was willing to concede the phantom run the umpires said he scored for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fourth inning -- long before his go-ahead homer in the ninth -- should not have counted.

Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson ("They obviously blew the call&quot , third baseman Ryan Zimmerman ("You can't just give out free runs in the big leagues&quot and catcher Jesus Flores ("Terrible call&quot were much more blunt about it.

In a wild game Wednesday, Kemp was ruled safe at home to give Los Angeles a six-run lead even though TV replays clearly showed that Zimmerman's head-over-heels lunging tag already had been applied to runner Adrian Gonzalez at third for the inning's final out. After Washington used a six-run eighth to tie the score, Kemp led off the ninth with a homer off closer Tyler Clippard, and the struggling Dodgers grabbed a 7-6 victory for a doubleheader split that prevented the Nationals from sewing up their first playoff berth since moving from Montreal in 2005.[/quote]

http://scores.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=320919320

Check out the video at the link on top, the call is not even close. These teams are all fighting for the playoffs, these umpires aren't some kind of replacements.....there's no excuse for this. .

[Graybeard]

1. Is umpire performance reviewed?

Who do Major League umpires have to answer to? It seems there have been more bad calls than usual this season, in both Leagues.

[Upton]

4. Yeah...but how critically is anybody's guess.

some of these umps have been bad for years..and have the reps to prove it. They need to expand replay in a limited way, before a stupid call like this deprives a team of a post season berth...

[Kingofalldems]

2. Umps have cost the Nats 2 games in the last week

Where's LaRussa on this?

[Upton]

3. What's unusual..

is it appears the umpires originally made the right call but then changed their mind after Mattingly came out...the home plate umpire had a clear view down the thirdbase line..So he would have seen this: http://media.nbcbayarea.com/images/Screen+Shot+2012-09-20+at+7.59.05+AM1.png

What could he have been thinking?

[Kingofalldems]

5. He was thinking:

MLB and ESPN want the Dodgers in the playoffs.

[Auggie]

6. The Giants and Nats are going to waltz into the playoffs

Let it go

[Upton]

7. I know...but that's beside the point

it was a bad call that potentially changed the outcome of a game and the playoff seeding. Keep in mind, The Nats are in a fight for the #1 seed and now lead the Reds by only 1/2 game. Also, speaking of the WC, the Dodgers are now only 2 games out of the 2nd spot. The call does matter.

[Auggie]

9. Okay. I stand corrected.

Let's hope it doesn't affect the outcome.

[TZ]

8. I'd hope so.

If the Nats end up getting the WC, I'm bringing this back up though!

[Iggo]

10. Safe!