National reaction: Rangers-Rockies ends on bogus illegal slide ruling – The Dallas Morning News

A back-and-forth contest at Globe Life Field between the Rangers and Rockies ended in rather confusing fashion on Monday.

Trailing 6-4, with one out and two on in the bottom of the 10th, Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia grounded into an attempted 5-4-3 double play, but the throw to first got away from Colorado first baseman C.J. Cron.

A run would score on the play, cutting the score to 6-5, and Garcia ended up at second base.

However, the Rockies challenged the ruling at second base that Mitch Garver’s slide interfered with second baseman Brendan Rodgers.

The umpires went to review the play and determined Garver did, in fact, interfere. Thus, the Rangers catcher was called out, along with Garcia running to first base.

Double play. Game over. Rockies win, 6-4.

Here’s the play Rangers-Rockies ended on today.
Overturned slide ruling at second base turns this into a game-ending double play.
Many in the state of Texas still trying to figure out what happened.
Colorado wins, 6-4 pic.twitter.com/Hn218Bc7o8
— Joey Hayden (@_joeyhayden) April 12, 2022

Here’s how the MLB rulebook currently defines its sliding rule:

“When sliding into a base in an attempt to break up a double play, a runner has to make a ‘bona fide slide.’ Such is defined as the runner making contact with the ground before reaching the base, being able to reach the base with a hand or foot, being able to remain on the base at the completion of the slide (except at home plate) and not changing his path for the purpose of initiating contact with a fielder. The slide rule prohibits runners from using a “roll block” or attempting to initiate contact with the fielder by elevating and kicking his leg above the fielder’s knee, throwing his arm or his upper body or grabbing the fielder. When a violation of the slide rule occurs, the offending runner and the batter-runner will be called out.

“Accidental contact can occur in the course of a permissible slide, and a runner will not be called for interference if contact is caused by a fielder being in the runner’s legal pathway to the base.”

Amendments to the sliding rules were implemented after a 2015 season in which a number of middle infielders were injured by sliding baserunners while covering second base.

However, a quick glance around social media will tell most fans that the result of Monday’s game might not have been a proper interpretation of the ruling.

Rockies challenge the slide rule on Garver at second and the game is over. Wow.
Rangers fall 6-5 in 10 innings. Texas is now 1-3. https://t.co/QUgt8OR3aS
— Joseph Hoyt (@JoeJHoyt) April 12, 2022

The game has ended on a slide rule call by the umpires. The Rangers lose 6-4.
A crazy way to finish. How can you overturn that.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) April 12, 2022

Rangers got screwed on this over the slide rule to end the game. That’s just terrible.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) April 12, 2022

Wow. Umps in Texas went to video review and found a bogus slide at second base that gave the Rockies a game-ending double play. 6-4 over the Rangers in 10 innings. Connor Joe hit a solo homer in the 10th off Greg Holland.
— Nick Groke (@nickgroke) April 12, 2022

The way the @Rangers game ended today is a joke. That interpretation of ‘the slide rule’ is a bad look and doesn’t help the likability of @MLB. So bad. The ‘softening’ of all sports these days is painful to watch. 🙄 #MLB
— Paul Stankowski (@PaulStankowski) April 12, 2022