Umpires Say They Goofed

The umpiring crew missed a critical call in the Dodgers’ 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, crew chief Gerry Davis acknowledged after the game.

In the play that set up the Dodgers’ first two runs, pitcher Jose Lima reached base on a bunt that hit his bat twice. At the time, none of the umpires saw the ball hit the bat on the rebound, but Davis said umpires checked replays after the game and should have ruled the ball foul.

“After reviewing the film, the ball hit the bat while Lima was not yet out of the box,” Davis said.

With the game scoreless, Alex Cora was hit by a pitch to open the third inning. Cora was hit by a pitch 18 times during the regular season, the most by a Dodger in 104 years.

St. Louis Manager Tony La Russa asked the umpires to consider ordering Cora back to bat, but they declined. At an umpire’s discretion, a player deemed not to have made a reasonable effort to get out of the way of a pitch is not awarded first base. Replays indicated Cora twisted his body but not his feet.

“He doesn’t move out of there too much,” La Russa said. “We had a similar incident when we played here earlier in the year. You’re supposed to make an effort to get out of the way.”

After Brent Mayne singled Cora to third, Lima attempted to drop a sacrifice bunt, then stumbled from the box after the ball rebounded off his bat. St. Louis catcher Mike Matheny pounced on the ball and fired to second base.

“I didn’t want them to call anything,” Matheny said. “I’ve got a chance for a double play. The pitcher wasn’t blazing down the line.”

Matheny’s throw appeared to beat Mayne to second base for what would have been a force play, although the relay to first was late. La Russa scrambled from the dugout to protest -- not the call at second base, but the non-call at home plate.

The umpires huddled in the infield to discuss whether the bunt had hit the bat -- or Lima -- on the rebound.

“I asked everyone what they had seen,” said Davis, the second-base umpire. “Chuck [Meriwether, plate umpire] didn’t feel the ball had hit him. I couldn’t tell. [First base umpire Bruce] Dreckman said he saw air and that Lima had stepped over the ball.”

Said La Russa: “The umpires did what I asked. They reviewed the play.

“Nobody saw it. They can’t call what they can’t see.”

Instead of Lima’s resuming an at-bat in which he intended to sacrifice, the Dodgers had the bases loaded and none out. Cesar Izturis popped up and Jayson Werth fouled out, so St. Louis pitcher Matt Morris could have retired the side without giving up a run.

Instead, Steve Finley’s broken-bat double scored Cora and Mayne, and the Dodgers took a 2-0 lead.

“If we get that out, they don’t get to that point,” Morris said.

“That’s a real tough two runs to give up,” La Russa said.

But, after Shawn Green added two solo home runs to account for the other Dodger runs, La Russa pointed no fingers at the umpires.

“You score no runs? I’m not going to blame the umpires for anything,” he said.

In baseball, umpires do not have the option of checking an instant replay.

“There’s no way we would have been able to see a replay at the time,” Davis said.

Despite the call that cost his team, La Russa said he would not endorse the adoption of instant replay.

“Time of game is a big thing for us. We like to keep the game moving,” La Russa said. “These guys do an amazing job. I’m not a big instant-replay fan.”

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Eight is enough

The Dodgers’ postseason losing streak, which ended Saturday (all losses came in the division series):

1995

Oct. 3 -- Cincinnati 7, at Dodgers 2

* Ramon Martinez gives up four in the first inning and Pete Schourek shuts down Dodgers.

Oct. 4 -- Cincinnati 5, at Dodgers 4

* Eric Karros homers twice, including a two-run shot in the ninth, but Reds hang on.

Oct. 6 -- at Cincinnati 10, Dodgers 1

* Hideo Nomo gives up five runs in five innings and David Wells and bullpen limit Dodgers to one unearned run.

1996

Oct. 2 -- Atlanta 2, at Dodgers 1 (10)

* John Smoltz wins pitcher’s duel with Ramon Martinez, giving up one run in nine innings. Braves break through in 10th against Antonio Osuna.

Oct. 3 -- Atlanta 3, at Dodgers 2

* Trailing, 2-1, Braves score twice in the seventh on homers by Fred McGriff and Jermaine Dye off Ismael Valdes.

Oct. 5 -- at Atlanta 5, Dodgers 2

* Braves score four in the fourth off Nomo and cruise to win behind Tom Glavine. Mark Wohlers saves all three Atlanta wins.

2004

Oct. 5 -- at St. Louis 8, Dodgers 3

* Cardinals hit five home runs, two by Larry Walker.

Oct. 7 -- at St. Louis 8, Dodgers 3

* Mike Matheny drives in four runs for the Cardinals and Jeff Weaver fails to get past the fifth inning for Dodgers.