Minnesota Twins Rocco Baldelli Blasts Overturned Call In Loss

MINNEAPOLIS -- An overturned call in the 10th inning on Sunday led to a 3-2 Toronto Blue Jays victory and an ejection for Minnesota Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who labeled the play "one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring in any game I've ever been a part of in baseball."

Caleb Thielbar pitched the 10th for the Twins and gave up a sacrifice fly to Toronto's Cavan Biggio, with Whit Merrifield running from third. Merrifield was originally called out at the plate trying to score the winning run, but the call was reversed after Twins catcher Gary Sanchez was deemed to have interfered with Merrifield.

"It's one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring in any game I've ever been a part of in baseball, and I think it was pathetic what just played out,'' said Baldelli, who was ejected for arguing the call, the eighth time in his career he was thrown out of a game and third this season.

Replay officials ruled Sanchez did not establish a clear lane for Merrifield, whose right foot collided with Sanchez's left leg as he slid into home plate. The out would have ended the inning. After blowing a save opportunity in the ninth inning, Jordan Romano closed out the Twins in the 10th with a 1-2-3 inning.

Toronto remained two games ahead of Tampa Bay Rays for the top wild card in the American League. Minnesota's lead in the AL Central shrank to one game after a win by the Cleveland Guardians.

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The Twins are off Monday then head to the West Coast for a Dodgers-Angels swing.

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Filed Under: Caleb Thielbar, ESPN, Gary Sanchez, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Rocco Baldelli, Toronto Blue Jays, Twitter, Whit Merrifield

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