In a controversial play that sparked the New York Yankees’ winning rally, Aaron Judge should have been called for interference for his slide during a botched double-play attempt in Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, crew chief Andy Fletcher acknowledged. The Yankees went on to secure a 15-5 victory after scoring seven runs in the sixth inning, all with two outs.
Judge raised his left arm while sliding into second base after a bouncer to the right side of the infield, causing Brewers shortstop Willy Adames’ throw to bounce off Judge’s hand and allowing Alex Verdugo to reach safely. Despite Brewers manager Pat Murphy arguing for an interference call, the crew determined on the field that it was not interference. However, upon further review, Fletcher admitted that the call was missed and should have been interference.
Judge, who defended his slide style, said he had no worries about interference during the play. Adames noted the challenge of throwing to first with Judge’s towering 6-foot-7 frame in the way. The missed call ultimately led to the unraveling of the Brewers’ defense, with the Yankees capitalizing on the opportunity to score multiple runs.
Despite the admission of the missed call, the Brewers were unable to recover from the Yankees’ offensive surge. Adames accepted the human error, stating, “We mess up sometimes. That’s how it goes sometimes.” The controversial play will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion in the baseball world following the Yankees’ decisive victory.
