Umpire defends controversial obstruction call in Marlins-Brewers game
First base umpire Marty Foster went viral in the top of the second inning of Wednesday's game between the Miami Marlins and Milwaukee Brewers when he ruled Milwaukee pitcher Zack Godley guilty of obstruction as most watching believed Miami second baseman Isan Diaz had grounded out but driven home the contest's opening run in the process:
Social-media users, many with no ties to either team participating in the matchup, criticized Foster's decision, but he told a pool reporter after Miami's 6-2 win he believed he made the right call.
"A player without a ball, without making a play on a ball, is standing in the base path of the runner, impeding and hindering him," Foster explained, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. "And he (Diaz) actually makes a jog to the right to get out of his way, to get out of Godley's way. That's clear-cut obstruction. It doesn't have to be contact. It just has to be hinder or obstruct, and that's what happened."
Foster wasn't convinced otherwise after seeing replays that seemed to show Godley made the throw to Dan Vogelbach, who was standing on first base, well before the pitcher could've obstructed Diaz.
"As it was, the runner definitely held up a little bit and then jogged to the right," Foster said. "As that play is happening, that's what the rule is."
Meanwhile, Milwaukee manager Craig Counsel said he felt it was "a terrible call." The Marlins added a second run that inning, and Brewers second baseman Kolten Wong said that Foster's questionable decision "definitely changed the game."
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