Marlins Lose Tying Run & Game to Twins on Umpire Interference as Kyle Stowers’ Hit Grazes U2 Jimenez
Sters and he swings and he lines one into center field. Base hit. Sters is on fire. Sanchez will score from second. Twins and Marlins runner on second in the sixth. A single from the home team to tie the game. Or is it?
This I think is going to be a bad break for the Marlins. The ball hit the umpire at second base. [Applause] So a single it definitely is. But what happens to the runner at second base? However, you’ve got to use a little judgment. Ball hitting an umpire if he’s in the infield is a dead ball.
This is umpire interference. A ball hitting an umpire working inside. Fair ball touching an umpire before passing a fielder.
That’s Emil Jimenez, the second base umpire. You wish they could go back at least and looked at it and say, “Yeah, because there’s no way.
No way anybody was going to catch this.”
No judgment to be had. If the ball hits the umpire, even grazes the umpire, it’s a dead ball. runner’s return unless forced to advance. Bad a runner gets a single and it doesn’t matter if it hits him or doesn’t. It’s in center field. It’s a base hit and a run batted in.
Lots of upset Marlins fans out there. Understandable. But that is the rule. There is no discretion to be had. It’s automatic.
I mean, there are times, okay, if it hits him and carums over to an infielder, then it makes a difference. I agree with you.
But that made no difference at all. To review, umpire interference is an automatic dead ball runners return unless forced to advance by the batter runner becoming well a runner.
But that made no difference at all.
That is a
So I think there has to be some sensibility in making this call.
And to add salt to the wound, instead of tying the game at two, the Marlins stayed at one and lost by that score.
And Emil Jimenez, the second base umpire, has single-handedly taken a run off the board for the Marlins here in the bottom of the sixth.
Thanks for watching. Please like and subscribe. It’s so nice not to do an ejection video for once. These are more interesting. I love the rules plays more than just the ball strike ejections, which ultimately are boring as
Miami lost its tying run, then the game, vs Minnesota when Kyle Stowers’ single hit 2B Umpire Emil Jimenez, positioned inside with Marlins baserunner R2 Jesús Sánchez at second. An umpire interference call returned runner Sánchez to second base despite the ball barely grazing Jimenez. Let’s review this call and the ump int rule. https://www.closecallsports.com/2025/07/marlins-lose-run-on-umpire-interference.html
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26 comments
Shouldn’t broadcasters be familiar with the rule book? They seem to get it wrong more often than not.
The umpire didn’t take a run off the board doofus announcer. THE RULE HE KNEW AND APPLIED CORRECTLY TOOK THE RUN OFF THE BOARD. GET A CLUE ANNOUNCER
The rule takes umpire discretion out of it, because for a lot of people, umpire discretion is the worst thing in the game. They only want more umpire discretion when it favors them. What happened here is unfortunate, but if the ball hit him and bounced to an infielder, they'd understand it's intent. The intent pf the rule is important. It's not there to work over one team or another, but adding more umpire discretion is a perfect way for one team or another in the future to feel worked over.
Worst feeling in the world when this happens to you as an umpire
Fans and announcers didn't understand the rules of the game, yet still spouted ignorant opinions? Well, color me shocked.
I appreciate all your hard work, Lindsey. Ejection vids plus. Phenomenal job
While “technically correct” there is nothing about this entire play that passes the “eye test”. The Marlins should have scored
Announcers are SO FREAKING DUMB!! If MLB wants to change this, they can / will. But the rule was enforced 100% correctly! It won't change because there's too much involved in predicting / guessing where runners should be placed. This one might be obvious to us all. Wait until a different one happens & all the opinions are split 50/50 as to what should be the final decision. What if F4 was closer & diving could stop the ball, get up & throw out the runner trying to get back to 3B?? Maybe he throws it away, maybe he gets the out. It must be black & white – no gray area.
You lost the game after the 9th inning not the 6th. You 9 more outs to win a game. Things happen.
Wow, that was crazy
announcers should be penalized for being this incorrect. there is zero accountability
amazing how those well paid "announcers" are dumb as rocks..
The instant blaming of the ump is absolute gold from these announcers. Once again, the announcers proving they know absolutely nothing about the rules
I was a baseball official for 29 years, and got hit in infield, while in proper taught position (B, or B modified with runner on 1B), just 6x. One time I had a large purple bruise on right thigh for weeks! We don't want to get hit, but many times announcers talk about "exit velocity" of baseball off bat can be over 100mph. Some umpires are now positioning on far side of 2B (behind infielders) with man on first to get the opposite angle of runner, ball & tag on steal coming at him (like we take calls at 3rd from foul territory, or play at plate "in the wedge" or third base line extended. If you are gonna place a base umpire in infield grass or at cut out, maybe one time in 500 a batted ball will clip him?! That's why there is a rule. Guy looked in shape and tried to avoid.
"…boring as f…"
I love the rule videos more too! I've learned so much from your videos.
Announcer: "And Emil Jimenez, the second base umpire, has single-handedly taken a run off the board for the Marlins."
No, he didn't. He and the umpire crew properly applied the rule.
The fact that the Marlins didn't score that run after that play, and that they had only scored one run in six innings and did not score any more runs in the remaining three innings, is their fault.
What about just like if a ball off the bat hits a runner in between bases, the runner is out, so if the ball hits an umpire, the umpire is out? lol
Well technically the pitcher becomes a fielder after the pitch. So technically the past a fielder before hitting the umpire. Because if a pitcher isn't a fielder how do they field ground balls and line drives up the middle
Listening to broadcasters is just evidence of the fact that baseball needs rules experts that the broadcasters can have access to. Kind of like they do in the NFL. Because the broadcasters have no idea of what the rules actually are in unusual situations.
As a hockey ref, life would be miserable if play was dead when the puck touched us. I understand why it is for baseball and am glad it isn’t in hockey. Although, maybe players would stop blindly shooting the puck and then getting mad at me when it hits me.
A rule since… baseball started. Everyone knows this. The second base umpire call it immediately. Take it and move on.
The ignorance of the announcers of MLB rules is no better than 20 years ago, imho. Everyone is ignorant (unknowing) about something until they actively work out of it to some state of knowing. This announcer compunds his ignorance by adamantly stating he is in the right. Doubly ignorant? At the very least…
Hello, was wondering if you could do a breakdown on a declaring windup or stretch from the Rays/Twins game 7/5/25. Incident occurs B2 with a 1-0 count.
I agree Lindsey, rule videos are way more interesting!
Im surprised no comments about the position of the ump. Not as in incorrect or correct but the general choice, either inside the fielders or outside the fielders.