Nationals World Series: Trying to make sense of controversial interference call in Game 6

Here we try to make sense of what happened on that controversial interference call on Washington Nationals shortstop Trea  Turner in Game 6 of the World Series.

In what was a wild night to be sure for the Washington Nationals in Game 6, nothing was more wild than that controversial call by Sam Holbrook in the top of the seventh inning.

To set the stage, the Nationals went into the seventh with a slim 3-2 lead. Yan Gomes led off the inning with a single.

Trea Turner stepped to the plate and hit a dribbler down the third baseline. The pitcher picked it up and threw to first, but the ball got away and the runners advanced to second and third with no outs.

But hold up, Sam Holbrook had different plans (and this isn’t the first time he’s made a questionable judgment call in a big spot — am I right, Braves fans?).

Holbrook, the home plate umpire, determined that Turner interfered with the first baseman, thus calling him out and sending the runner back to first.

So instead of two on with no outs, the Nationals suddenly had one on with one out.

At the time it was a very huge call that could have swung the tide in the Astros favor had Anthony Rendon not come up with that big 2-run homer later in that inning to break the game open.

Was it the right call? 

You could ask 100 unbiased fans this question and you’d probably have half of them say it was the correct call and the other half say it was terrible call.

And the reason for that is because it’s a judgment call, and Holbrook made the judgment that Turner interfered with the first baseman.

So let’s look at both sides of this argument.

I can see why Holbrook would come to this conclusion because Turner is running inside the first baseline and he does appear to interfere with the first baseman as he reached for the throw that was running into Turner.

Here is the explanation from Joe Torre after the game:

However, I can also see why Dave Martinez and the Nationals were livid about the call because the swing from Turner appears to take him on that path and he is simply running in a straight line to first base.

I don’t know what else Turner is supposed to do in that situation.

After a lengthy review, the ruling on the field was upheld, Rendon hit the big home run, and then Martinez lost it in between innings and was tossed.

Fortunately, the call didn’t end up having much of an impact on the game as the Nationals went on to win and force a Game 7. But it’s certainly a call that will be discussed and debated for a long time.