Did he go? Yes, says Todd Tichenor. No, says Jurickson Profar. Tichenor has the final say as the third-base umpire.
His call after an appeal of a Profar checked swing turned the tide in the ninth inning of NLCS Game 3 between the Padres and Phillies on Friday.
Had Tichenor ruled the other way, Profar would have been on with a walk and the tying runs would have been on base for the Padres in a two-run game. Instead, Profar struck out swinging for the first out.
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Profar didn’t accept the judgment call quietly. He slammed his helmet and then kicked it. He cursed out Tichenor. That earned him an ejection by plate umpire Ted Barrett.
Jurickson Profar has been thrown out of the game. pic.twitter.com/4O437H2Sf2
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 22, 2022
Phillies closer Seranthony Dominguez retired the next two hitters to nail down a 4-2 win in Game 3 and a 2-1 series lead for Philadelphia.
“I thought I didn’t go and it should have been a walk,” Profar said after the game.
“Maybe the bat was in front (of the plate), but I was just getting out of the way (of Dominguez’s inside pitch). I didn’t go. I didn’t swing,” he said later.
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Padres manager Bob Melvin came out of the dugout to talk to Barrett, but he didn’t appear to be upset by Tichenor’s call.
“Blocked out a little bit. Originally it looked like it might have gone. Go back and look at it, maybe the bat didn’t get out there. It’s a close call, tough one. But maybe not,” he said.
Will MLB punish Profar for his display?
Asked if he’s concerned MLB will suspend him for his outburst, Profar said there’s “no chance” that will happen.
“MLB doesn’t suspend people for that,” he said.
He also said he “probably” wouldn’t erupt like that in the future, but he wouldn’t criticize himself for acting the way he did in the moment.
“We play a game and we play with emotion. We don’t play soft, we play to win. I play with emotion,” he said.