The Dodgers came back down 2 games to 1 and defeated the Giants in the NLDS. After a full year of the 2 NL West teams exchanging blows in the division race, Los Angeles moves on and kicked San Francisco out of the postseason.
Naturally, Game 5 came with every bit of drama that you would expect from the Dodgers and Giants. That included a controversial checked-swing call that ended the game. Luckily, this time it was Los Angeles that benefited.
Wilmer Flores appeared to check his swing on the replay, though it was very close. Dodgers pitcher Max Scherzer got the ball though, and that ended the game with Los Angles up 2-1. After the game, umpire Gabe Morales explained his viewpoint and the decision to ring up Flores.
Check swings are one of the hardest calls we have. I don’t have the benefit of multiple camera angles when I’m watching it live. When it happened live, I thought he went, so that’s why I called it a swing.
The call was certainly tough in the first place, but the fact that it ended the game made it wildly controversial. And while Scherzer was pitching very well, the Giants would no doubt love to have that one back. But the Dodgers will certainly take it.
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But the call sort of makes up for one that went against the Giants earlier in the year. Fans in Los Angeles certainly remember Darin Ruf’s non-call during Summer and how that kept them 1 game away from the division. We’ll call it even.
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