Look: I’m not trying to make San Francisco Giants fans feel better here. I get the fact that Wilmer Flores didn’t appear to go around for the game-ending strike three in Game 5 of the NLDS that gave the Los Angeles Dodgers a series-clinching victory.
I guess I’m pointing out the irony, and even a member of the Giants who was at the center of a previous check-swing controversy noted it.
Back in July, the Dodgers were up 3-2 with two outs in the ninth inning and the bases loaded. Darin Ruf was at the plate, and he appeared to go around on a 3-2 pitch from Kenley Jansen that the first base umpire called a check swing. Everyone was mad.
Umpire says no swing, which allows the Giants to tie the game and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts gets ejected immediately pic.twitter.com/HtDblfZFwg
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 23, 2021
Yep, and as writer Molly Knight pointed out, you could pinpoint that as the difference between the Dodgers winning the division or being a Wild Card:
Before casual fans freak out, this was the difference between the Giants and Dodgers in the NL West standings. It all evened out in the end. https://t.co/TvyPi7OFNN
— Molly Knight (@molly_knight) October 15, 2021
Heck, even Ruf cited it on Thursday after the loss:
Darin Ruf says he didn’t think Flores went. But: Points out that his own check swing call went Giants way at the end of the season, helped them win the division.
— Susan Slusser (@susanslusser) October 15, 2021
These things happen, sometimes calls get evened out, sometimes they don’t. That’s the way of the world.
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