Chicago Cubs Miss Out on Key Victory Due to Missed Call

PHOENIX — Two hours after a controversial call, Pete Crow-Armstrong remained visibly upset. The Chicago Cubs faced Eduardo Rodríguez, an Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander, during their match on Wednesday. Crow-Armstrong led off the sixth inning with a double in a scoreless game. His move to third on a groundout set up the Cubs for what could have been a series win. Crow-Armstrong’s aggressive steps toward home during Rodríguez’s delivery on the 2-1 pitch to Michael Busch appeared to induce a balk from the pitcher. Rodríguez’s foot seemed to step off the rubber in response to the center fielder’s approach.

Both Crow-Armstrong and third-base coach Quintin Berry immediately signaled toward Rodríguez after he delivered a ball. They anticipated a balk call in what turned into a decisive moment in the Cubs’ eventual 2-0 loss. Unfortunately, the call did not favor the Cubs. Led by plate umpire and crew chief Alfonso Márquez, a group of umpires conferred on the infield, ultimately maintaining the original ruling of no balk.

Crow-Armstrong expressed anger and sprinted toward third-base umpire Malachi Moore. Berry intervened, physically guiding Crow-Armstrong back to prevent ejection. After the umps’ conference, second-base umpire Lance Barksdale approached Crow-Armstrong, further aggravating him. Crow-Armstrong remarked, “I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play. Their job is to get calls right, and they didn’t.” Despite this, he acknowledged Rodríguez’s strong performance, stating, “Eduardo was an All-Star, and he was nails. When a guy is dominating, you have to make something happen. I executed, and it would have been nice if the umpires did the same.”

Later, Márquez admitted, via a pool reporter, the umpires missed Rodríguez’s balk call, which would have given Crow-Armstrong a 1-0 lead for the Cubs. The missed sequence could not be reviewed by video in New York. Márquez commented, “We just didn’t see it. The video postgame showed he stepped off.” Though Busch drew a walk, Nico Hoerner’s strikeout ended the inning. Then, Diamondbacks center fielder Jordan Lawlar hit a home run four pitches later off Matthew Boyd. Another run came in via a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning against reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. The Cubs struggled in their two-hit defeat, wrapping up the trip 2-4, which included three walk-off losses.

Manager Craig Counsell stated, “They flat out missed it. It’s obvious on TV. They missed it. The umps said Rodríguez kept contact with the rubber, but he didn’t. Tough call for the umpires, but easy for others.” On hearing Márquez’s admission postgame, Crow-Armstrong commented it didn’t provide consolation, saying, “They should have admitted the mistake sooner.”

The Cubs missed out significantly, as their starting pitchers – Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Boyd – allowed just one run in 20 innings. They aim to recover during Thursday’s off day in Chicago before facing the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers. Crow-Armstrong expressed dissatisfaction with his performance. Hitless in his last series, he commented, “I shouldn’t have punched out three times. My at-bats were subpar. My frustrations showed, and I stand by them.”