Home plate umpire Chad Fairchild missed a foul ball in the ninth inning of the Rangers-Cubs game Thursday, and it nearly cost Texas a win on Opening Day.
Miles Mastrobuoni, with runners on first and second in the top of the frame, appeared to foul off the second pitch from closer José Leclerc, but when the ball bounced past catcher Jonah Heim and onto the grass, Fairchild didn’t signal that there had been contact — even as Heim pleaded for the hit.
A foul ball wasn’t called when Miles Mastrobuoni made contact with a pitch in the ninth inning Thursday. Screengrab via X/@EvanDavisTSP During that time, Michael Busch, who’d walked earlier in the inning and advanced a base on a second walk issued by Leclerc, scored from second — sliding in safe as Heim’s toss to Leclerc for a potential tag bounced away and back toward the mound — to give the Cubs a 3-2 lead.
After the call, Heim was furious that the Rangers were even trailing.
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He took off his mask, held out both of his hands in disbelief and had a confused look on his face, but there was nothing the Rangers could do — that type of play isn’t considered a reviewable scenario by MLB rules, and it remained a passed ball.
But in the bottom of the frame, ex-Mets outfielder Travis Jankowski blasted a slider from Cubs righty Adbert Alzolay 396 feet for a pinch-hit homer, sending the game into extras, where the Rangers — the reigning World Series champions which unveiled a celebratory banner pregame at Globe Life Field — eventually won when Heim fittingly singled in the winning run with a two-out hit.
Rangers catcher Jonah Heim was furious after a foul ball wasn’t called in the ninth inning. Screengrab via X/@EvanDavisTSP He drove an 0-1 sinker from Drew Smyly into the right-center gap, allowing Josh Jung to score from third.
“Just a lot of emotions coming to the surface there,” Heim told ESPN’s “SportsCenter” after the game. “Obviously take full responsibility for what happened … Should have finished the play. That’s all on me.
“I’m glad Travis came up and tied the game there with a big swing. I’m gonna buy him a dinner or something.”
Texas also generated runs from rookie Wyatt Langford, who hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, and Adolis Garcia, who won the ALCS MVP award after launching five homers and driving in 15 runs against the Astros, homered in the sixth.
