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MIAMIThe Phillies played their 152nd and final game in Sun Life Stadium on Sunday afternoon, and, wow, was it a doozy.
They went 14 innings in suffering a 5-4 loss to the Florida Marlins.
Oh, yeah, did we mention they played the game under protest?
In the big picture, the loss probably wont cost the Phillies anything. They still have the best record in the majors with 26 games to play, still have a 7game lead on second-place Atlanta in the National League East.
But the Phillies last afternoon in the football stadium that the Marlins will be vacating for a new baseball-only stadium in April was fascinating and dramatic nonetheless.
The Phils saw a potential sixth-inning rally get amputated when the umpiring crew ruled that a would-be double off the right-field wall by Hunter Pence had been interfered with by a fan. The play was reviewed on instant replay and Pence was called out. Ryan Howard, who had gone to third on the would-be double, was sent back to first base. Instead of having men on second and third with no outs, the Phils had a man on first with one out. Raul Ibanez followed Pence with a one-out double, but the threat ultimately died when Wilson Valdez hit into a double play.
MLB
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was ejected by umpire crew chief Joe West after West ruled Pence out.
Manuels contention was that the play should not have been reviewed.
You cant review a defensive play, he said. Thats my understanding.
After the game, West said he did not use the replay to review a defensive play. He said he went to the replay machine because he and his crew wanted to see if the ball had cleared the wall. Once they saw the play unfold in slow motion, they concluded that Marlins rightfielder Bryan Petersen was interfered with as he tried to make the catch at the top of the wall.
I didnt assume anything, West said. We went to look at the replays because there was a possibility it could have been a home run. Once we look at the home run, we have to take into account all the evidence. Thats why we came up with the ruling we did, which was the correct ruling.
Baseball rules say the decision to use replay is at the discretion of the crew chief. It is to be used for disputed home-run calls -- fair or foul, over the wall or not. Rule 3.16 in the official rule book says a batter shall be called out if a spectator clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball. (For the record, after the game Petersen said he would have caught the ball.)
All in all, it sounds as if West might have gotten it right, though he might have gotten it right by default.
On his way out of the stadium, West said he reviewed the play because Manuel was arguing that the ball should have been a home run. Manuel said that was not true. In fact, he did not speak to West until after West had already watched the replay and ruled Pence out. Marlins manager Jack McKeon was the guy who wanted the instant-replay review. He believed there was fan interference. However, that is not a reviewable situation. McKeon acknowledged as much after the game.
Even if the umpires were wrong in their decision to go in and review it, they did what was right, McKeon said. They got the play right. They were wrong if they misinterpreted the rule but they got the play right.
Isnt that what we want from the umpires, to get it right? Did they get it right. Yes. Did they make a mistake in how they went about getting it right? Yes.
Thats like a ballplayer who misses a sign and then hits a home run. He screwed up yet he got it right and hit it out of the park.
The Phillies have 24 hours after the game to file an official appeal with the commissioners office. It is unclear if they will do that. If they do, they likely wont get far. Wests explanation covers his decision to use the replay. The rule book accounts for fan interference. And a team hasnt won a protest since 1986.
If the Phillies win the protest, the game will be replayed from the point of the controversy.
Who cares? McKeon said. If they say that, well start the game over. Well play a tripleheader up there. Or well see if the league will make them come back here and play it. Theyre making us go to Philadelphia to play (a doubleheader on Sept. 15) when we couldve played it here.
Im not going to worry about it. Thats in baseballs hands. I dont think there will be any problem with that. I think they will uphold the umpires decision.
The controversial play ultimately loomed large because the Phillies lost the game by a run. They also had to stretch their bullpen an extra five innings and may be forced to call up some reinforcements from Triple A sooner rather than later.
David Herndon picked up most of those innings. He wiggled out of bases-loaded jams in the 12th and 13th innings, but couldnt do it in the 14th. He walked home the winning run. It was a tough weekend for Herndon. He allowed three home runs in the eighth inning in Saturday nights loss. The bullpen blew late leads in both games and it all started by walking the leadoff man in a one-run game. Antonio Bastardo walked the leadoff man in the eighth inning Saturday night and Michael Schwimer did the same Sunday. The Marlins turned both of those walks into runs.
Sundays game lasted four hours, 47 minutes, so long that "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" was played twice, so long that the "Kiss Cam" turned into the "Get A Room Cam," so long that it was easy to forget that Roy Halladay made the start. He allowed three runs over six innings and made a costly error in a so-so performance.
Halladays day wasnt as bad Chase Utleys. He went 0 for 7 and has just two hits in his last 28 at-bats.
It was not a good day for the Phils, but keep it in perspective. They still have the best record in the majors and next time they come to Miami they wont be playing in a football stadium. Their all-time record in the Marlins football home: 74-78.
E-mail Jim Salisbury at jsalisbury@comcastsportsnet.com