‘Terrible’ controversial call looms large in SF Giants’ loss to Marlins

SAN FRANCISCO — The Giants’ wasted three prime scoring opportunities, misplayed more than one ball defensively, let a leadoff walk come around to score and replaced their starting pitcher after five strong innings with a reliever who hung a breaking ball to the first batter he faced.

But after their 4-3 loss Saturday night to the Miami Marlins, who own the National League’s worst record, manager Bob Melvin and his players’ primary complaint was with the umpiring crew, who employed a new and rarely used rule to reverse a late out on the bases that set up what proved to be the decisive run.

“I don’t know how you make that call,” a dismayed Melvin said afterward, while shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald said the ruling was “terrible.”

Fitzgerald was called for obstruction in the seventh inning when he planted his left foot in front of the bag covering second base, and two batters later Otto Lopez had extended the Marlins’ lead to 4-2. He drew a leadoff walk from Spencer Bivens and bolted for second, where Patrick Bailey’s throw and Fitzgerald’s glove beat him to the bag. But rather than hold up a fist to signal the clear out, second base umpire Ryan Blakney repeatedly pointed to the bag and waved his arms safe.

Blakney was acting on guidance issued by MLB this spring to crack down on infielders blocking base runners’ paths to the bag. It falls under the existing Rule 6.00(h), which awards runners the next base if their path is impeded by a defender — but it is a judgement call and not reviewable.

“There should be some feel involved with that, is what I was told” when all 30 managers were informed of the new emphasis this spring, Melvin said. “It’s not an instinctive call. It’s not something you’re looking for. They said you can ask the umpires to get together, and they did get together. But I just don’t know how you can make that call if it doesn’t affect the play.”

Diving headfirst into second, Lopez reached his right hand around Fitzgerald’s cleat without altering his path much at all. Fitzgerald applied the tag and confusion ensued. Bailey held his arms up in disbelief. Melvin repeatedly tried to get home plate umpire Alan Porter’s attention.

Fitzgerald said he received no explanation on the field.

“They didn’t relay anything to us,” Fitzgerald said. “My foot was originally in front of the bag, but I moved it. I pulled it back. Maybe by rule it was obstruction, but in no way did I obstruct the runner. Watch the replay. He slid in and he was able to get to the bag. I tried to move my foot so he was able to reach the bag. I didn’t think I was obstructing at all.”

The controversial call turned a leadoff walk into a leadoff double and allowed Lopez — one of three former Giants on the other side — to score the Marlins’ fourth and final run on a pair of productive groundouts, or the kind of timely hitting the Giants’ lacked once again.

As a team, they went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven men on base. In three separate innings, they had multiple runners on base with less than two outs and managed two total runs out of the opportunities.

Still, the Marlins’ insurance run in the seventh loomed large after Michael Conforto launched a solo shot to center field with two outs in the eighth inning that cut the deficit to 4-3. That was as close as the Giants would get, though, as they went down in order in the ninth against Calvin Fauchner.

The loss sent them back below .500 (68-69), kept them 6½ games back of the Braves, and wasted a spot start from Mason Black that was as much as they could ask for.

Filling in for Robbie Ray and Black made his first big-league start since May and turned in the best performance of his young career but still departed in a 2-1 hole.

The 24-year-old right-hander fanned a career-high six batters without issuing a walk, evenly mixing his four-seamer, sinker and sweeper over 74 pitches (58 strikes).

“Five innings, couple of runs, he did his job,” Melvin said. “He looked good. Just gave up the one homer.”

The Marlins’ only damage against him came on a two-run homer to right from Griffin Conine — the first of his career — after Fitzgerald muffed a slow hopper that allowed Jonah Bride to reach base (and counted as one of Miami’s four hits off Black) with one out in the second.

After Conine’s home run, Black retired nine of the final 11 hitters he faced, erasing one of the two batters to reach base on a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play to end the third. He completed five innings for the first time as a big leaguer.

“I didn’t get through that fifth the last couple times I was up here, so it meant a lot just to get my feet wet again and be able to back out there and hopefully get more innings in the future,” said Black, who chalked up his improvement to a mechanical tweak to be more upright in his delivery.

But immediately upon taking over to start the sixth inning, Taylor Rogers allowed the Marlins to extend the lead to 3-2.

Making his first appearance in six days — the 500th of his career — Rogers served up a solo shot to the first batter he faced, leadoff man Connor Norby, who worked a full count and unloaded on a sweeper left at the letters. He faced four batters and recorded only one out in his first appearance since reportedly being placed on waivers.

“He just hung a breaking ball right there,” Melvin said. “Sometimes you’re going to make a pitch and they’ll put a good piece of wood (on it). The lefties got a couple of hits off him, so I had to go get him. But he gave up one run.”

Spencer Bivens took over for Rogers and turned two to get out of the two-on, one-out jam handed to him but issued the leadoff walk to Lopez the next inning.

Notable

Black was recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to make his fourth start of the season — his first since May — in the rotation spot vacated by LHP Robbie Ray (hamstring). While Melvin said he hoped the 24-year-old right-hander, who had a 2.91 ERA in his past four starts for Sacramento, would take advantage of the opportunity, Ray had already progressed to playing catch and could miss only the minimum 15 days.

In a corresponding move, RHP Austin Warren was optioned to Sacramento. … Catcher Andrew Knapp, who was designated for assignment earlier this week, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Sacramento.

Up next

RHP Logan Webb (11-8, 3.24) gets the ball in the series finale, while the Marlins have not named a starter yet. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.