Texas Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien was called out by the skin of his teeth against the Houston Astros on Thursday – or rather, by the contents of his pocket.
The Rangers trailed 7-3 entering the bottom of the fifth inning during Game 4 of the ALCS in Globe Life Field at Arlington, Texas.
The club was seemingly on the verge of a rally after opening the frame with back-to-back singles from center fielder Leody Tavares and Semien.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager batted next and sent a hard liner to right field. Semien instinctively assumed it to be a likely hit and was nearly halfway to second base when Astros first baseman Jose Abreu caught the line drive and raced back to first base to try and get Semien out. Abreu appeared to be just late in trying to tag out a diving Semien.
First base umpire Marvin Hudson initially ruled that Semien was able to return to first safely, but the Astros challenged the call, which was overturned after the replay showed Abreu making contact with the base runner’s batting glove jutting out of his back pocket.
The official MLB rulebook dictates that a player’s uniform or equipment worn by the player (not counting jewelry) are considered a part of his body (page 153).
The Rangers would have still had runners on first and second with just one out had Semien been called safe. The overturned ruling left just one runner on base with two outs. Texas failed to score in the inning following the double play.
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