CB Bucknor has six pitches overturned by ABS system in Reds vs. Red Sox game
It took 11 innings, however the Cincinnati Reds have their first win of the brand new season. The Reds used a Dan Myers walk-off single to beat the Boston Red Sox Saturday afternoon at Great American Ball Park (CIN 6, BOS 5 in 11 innings). Wilyer Abreu’s two-out homer in the ninth inning despatched the game to extras, then Myers ultimately gave Cincinnati the win.
The story of the game was, sadly, dwelling plate umpire CB Bucknor, who had a tough afternoon calling balls and strikes. He had six — six! — calls overturned by way of the ABS problem system, together with back-to-back pitches by Eugenio Suarez in the sixth inning. There have been eight challenges in the game total, 5 by the Reds (5 for five) and three by the Red Sox (1 for 3).
Here are the overturned calls:
The frustration appeared to boil over in the eighth inning, when Bucknor referred to as Trevor Story out on a verify swing strike three with out checking with the primary base umpire. The verify swing name ended the inning with the tying run at second and the go-ahead run at first. Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora acquired ejected whereas defending Story after the decision.
Here is Story’s strikeout and Cora’s ejection.
“He has one job to do. It wasn’t his best day,” Cora said about Bucknor after the game.
Snyder’s Soapbox: ABS is not ’embarrassing’ MLB umpires, it’s making them better
Matt Snyder
Entering play Saturday, the league was 35 for 60 (58%) in ABS challenges. That is damaged down into 10 for 20 for hitters and 25 for 40 (63%) for catchers. Throughout the minors, catchers had the perfect success charge, which is smart given their vantage level. Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez went an ideal 3 for 3 on challenges on Opening Day.
Bucknor, 63, has been a major-league umpire since 1996. He is among the two longest-tenured energetic umpires. Although it could result in some embarrassing video games and moments, ABS challenges aren’t there to make umpires look foolish. It’s there to help them.
