Jordan Baker has been a major league umpire for 2 1/2 years after working in the minors since 2005. He’s the same umpire who Baltimore Sun columnist Peter Schmuck called out for ejecting Ubaldo Jimenez after he hit a batter during a no-hitter April 17 (an albeit brief, 3 2/3-inning no-hitter).
He was the center of controversy again Thursday at Turner Field during the series finale between the Braves and Padres.
With runners on second and third and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jace Peterson hit a little dribbler that he beat out for RBI infield single to put the Braves up 3-1. Padres players held their hands up calling for a dead ball during and after the play, and Bud Black immediately shot out of the dugout to argue the call.
Replays showed Peterson’s bat appear to hit the ball a second time, meaning it should have been ruled a foul ball and the run shouldn't have scored.
That scenario is non-reviewable, though, according to MLB replay-review regulations.
“We got away with one there,” manager Fredi Gonzalez said after the game.
Black incredulously paced from umpire to umpire, and eventually his frustration boiled over and Baker threw him out of the game.
After the game Black said Baker told him none of the other three umpires saw or heard the double-hit. Black said he found that hard to believe.
The next batter, Cameron Maybin, hit a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-1.
In the next half-inning, the Padres scored the game-tying run when Baker called catcher’s interference on Christian Bethancourt with the bases loaded and two outs. Replays showed Cory Spangenberg’s bat hit Bethancourt’s glove before the ball, which makes Baker’s call the right one.
“I could hear (the bat hit the glove) from the dugout,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t think it was any question.”
Earlier in the game, Baker was literally at the center of a benches-clearing controversy — holding Matt Kemp from Julio Teheran after he didn’t take too kindly to a 90-mph fastball in the shoulder. Kemp slipped on the wet infield grass and fell while restrained by Baker, and Baker went down along with him.
It’s probably safe to say Baker and the rest of this umpiring crew, which also issued warnings to both benches Wednesday after Williams Perez hit Justin Upton, hope their next series will be relatively uneventful.
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