The Dodgers evened their National League Division Series with a 5-2 win over the New York Mets before a sold-out crowd on Saturday night. Dodger Stadium organist Nancy Bea Hefley, who is retiring after the season, might have played her final rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame,” but that’s not what you will remember about the seventh inning.
The game turned on a take-out slide at second base by Chase Utley that fractured Ruben Tejada‘s right fibula. The Dodgers scored one run on that play and three more after it. The half-inning ended about 33 minutes after it began. The sequence had the feel of Joe Kelly hitting Hanley Ramirez in the ribs to begin the 2013 National League Championship Series, in terms of its potential impact. Utley spoke to reporters after the game. So did the Mets, and they were pissed.
The photo gallery is here. The box score is here.
Zack Greinke pitched a dogged seven innings, writes columnist Mark Whicker.
A couple morning-after thoughts.
Here’s what the New York media had to say in 96-point font:
New York tabloid covers. #mets #dodgers pic.twitter.com/Tdnc10qJqQ
— Adam Rubin (@AdamRubinESPN) October 11, 2015
Here’s a more measured take about what made the umpires’ handling of the situation unfortunate. I think I agree with this.
Here's what I still don't get about Chase Utley's slide and the review that overturned the initial out call: pic.twitter.com/dDrQhMgovm
— Marc Carig (@MarcCarig) October 11, 2015
The only problem with that logic: If the umpire crew based its decision-making process on the players’ belief that a double play was possible, Utley certainly committed interference.
See rule 6.01(6):
Chase Utley should have been called out, and Howie Kendrick as well. No runs should have scored. Rule 6.01 (6) pic.twitter.com/jS2MUOdJo2
— Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) October 11, 2015
And then see Utley’s slide, which has every appearance of “deliberately interfering” with Tejada:
Whatever Joe Torre decides, it will not be to replay Game 2 from the eighth inning with the Mets leading 2-1 on the basis of a blown interference call. The Dodgers should find out today whether or not Torre plans to suspend Utley. The evidence of wrongdoing (or the lack thereof) isn’t going to be any clearer Monday morning, so there’s no reason to deliberate any longer than 24 hours and keep the Dodgers in suspense.
The Dodgers are scheduled to address the media at 4 p.m. PT in New York. Matt Harvey is scheduled to address the Dodgers at 5 or 5:30 p.m. tomorrow; we’ll know what time Game 3 starts after today’s ALDS games have been played.