Friday night’s dramatic clash between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers ended with fireworks—both on the field and after the final out. But it wasn’t just Mookie Betts’ walk-off home run that had fans talking. A controversial call at the plate in the ninth inning stole the spotlight and left Tigers manager A.J. Hinch asking Major League Baseball for answers.
The Play That Sparked the Controversy
With the score tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, Tigers outfielder Manuel Margot was waved around third base on a laser shot down the right-field line by Riley Greene. Margot raced home as Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes awaited the throw. In real time, the home plate umpire ruled Margot safe.
But after a lengthy review, the call was overturned, with officials concluding Margot had been tagged out before touching the plate—a decision that brought Tigers fans to social media in droves to voice their frustration.
A.J. Hinch: “I Still Don’t See the Out”
The frustration wasn’t just coming from the stands. Prior to Saturday’s series-finale, A.J. Hinch weighed in on the snapshot evidence that was provided to him by Major League Baseball.
“I still don’t see the out,” Hinch said as quoted by the Detroit News. “There’s a little small shift of his back pocket. I don’t know. It probably depends on what you want to see. We want to see that he missed (the tag) so he missed it. If you’re in the other dugout, you want to see the glove touch the back of his pocket.”
Hinch wasn’t satisfied leaving it at that. He confirmed that he had contacted Major League Baseball to request the exact frame that the video replay center used to justify the reversal.
“It’s the same shot,” Hinch added. “Right on that hip, on his backside. I didn’t want to see (the tag) so I am looking for him to miss him. It doesn’t really matter. It is what it is.”
Outcome Overshadowed by Umpiring Debate
Despite the controversy, the Tigers battled back to take a 5-3 lead in the 10th inning. But the Dodgers responded with a thunderous walk-off three-run home run from Mookie Betts in the bottom half, sealing an 8-5 win and turning what could’ve been a momentum-swinging victory for Detroit into another gut-punch loss.
Video clips circulating online have since shown frame-by-frame replays of Barnes’ glove making contact with Margot’s backside, but for Hinch—and a sizable portion of the Tigers faithful—it’s not enough to erase the feeling that Detroit got robbed in a crucial moment.
