“MLB wants their poster boy in the World Series!” - Fans flip out at umpire’s controversial call as Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers clinch NLCS berth

The Los Angeles Dodgers clinched a National League Championship Series for a second consecutive series after beating the Philadelphia Phillies 2-1 in Game 4 of the NLDS on Thursday.

The Dodgers, who lead the series 2-1 heading into the game at Dodger Stadium, came from behind to win the game in extra innings. After the Phillies took a 1-0 lead in the top of the seventh inning, the Dodgers tied the score after a bases-loaded walk to Mookie Betts in the bottom of the frame.

In the lead up to Betts' at-bat, Dodgers left fielder Alex Call received a dubious call after working a 2-2 count from Christopher Sanchez. The Phillies ace's sinker seemingly painted the inside of the strike zone but the plate umpire ruled it a ball to Sanchez's surprise.

Fans reacted to the controversial call that eventually led to a run being scored by the Dodgers.

"It's always the same teams that get the benefits, MLB wants their poster boy in the World Series sooooo bad. They even let him bet on baseball this season."

"Another reason why we need the automated strike zone."

"If you think MLB wants the Phillies to beat the Dodgers and "precious" Ohtani, youre delusional."

"They want the Japanese in it as long as possible they make the most money on streaming and merch sales, it’s clear as day! And it’s pathetic!"

"If he calls a strike there Sanchez gets out of the 7th and Duran has to get 6 outs."

Sanchez intentionally walked three-time MVP Shohei Ohtani to load up the bases for Mookie Betts with two outs. Jhoan Duran replaced Sanchez and ended be issuing an RBI walk to Betts.

Dodgers advance to championship series after crucial error by Phillies reliever

With the Phillies needing a win to keep their season alive, the game headed to extra innings with the score tied at 1-1. However, the Phillies' season ended after a game-deciding error from reliever Orion Kerkering in the bottom of the 11th inning.

Kerkering failed to gather a grounder from Andy Pages with the bases loaded and his throw to catcher J.T. Realmuto sailed over his head to allow Hyeseong Kim the NLDS-winning run.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash