Thursday's matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles ended in controversial fashion. While the outcome will remain the same, MLB admitted that they made a mistake.
The Orioles came away with an 8-6 victory after Chicago slugger Andrew Vaughn was called for interference, making him the final out of the game. On Friday, MLB reached out to the White Sox to let them know that call should not have been made, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. While the league said there is discretion in obstruction calls, it's clear they felt that the wrong call was made against the White Sox.
With one on and two out, Andrew Benintendi popped out to shortstop Gunnar Henderson. In the process, he and Andrew Vaughn crossed paths. While unintentional on Vaughn's part, the umpires still called him for obstruction, ending the contest.
After seeing how the White Sox lost the contest, fans from all different fanbases stated their displeasure with the umpires on social media.
The call itself was peculiar, as Vaughn was simply trying to get back to base. He didn't see Henderson and wasn't trying to obstruct his path to the ball. In that situation, the infield fly rule would've been in play anyways. Would Vaughn really take a chance on losing the game for his team with such minor contact?
MLB seems to think not, which prompted their call to the White Sox. They can't erase the loss from the record book, but they can at least admit their mistake. Chicago, Baltimore and all teams in the league will be more aware of the interference rules as they make their way through the season.
Where do White Sox, Orioles go from here
While the loss was more controversial than usual, losing has not been a stranger to the White Sox in 2024. At 15-36, Chicago has the worst record in baseball and is already 18.5 games behind in the AL Central. But the White Sox still managed to put up a fight on Thursday.
Down 8-2 entering the ninth inning, Chicago found a way to battle back and score four runs. No home runs were necessary, just getting guys on base and putting the ball in play. At the time of Benintendi's pop up, the White Sox had the tying run on base.
The loss will sting, but the Sox showed much more of a fight than fans have been used to in 2024. Perhaps that's what made the call feel even worse.
Baltimore was able to continue their winning ways, moving to 30-18. Despite their fine record, the Orioles sit three games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. They'll take the win anyway, but the O's are certainly more aware of their bullpen struggles after the Chicago debacle.
In the end, MLB owned up to their mistake and let the White Sox know the umpires were in the wrong. Maybe next time Chicago is in the game-winning position in the bottom of the ninth inning, luck will fortune the South Siders.
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