MLB umpire draws criticism, laughter for bizarre call during Brewers-Rays game

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MLB umpire CB Bucknor drew scrutiny and laughter on Tuesday night when he made a bizarre call while manning the first base line during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays.

The oddity took place in the bottom of the sixth inning with Brewers batter Jake Bauers at the plate going up against Rays pitcher Cole Sulser. Bauers hit a liner to Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who knocked the ball down, but his rushed throw to first base was wide.

It was a remarkably routine play by baseball’s standards. But Bucknor ruled that Bauers didn’t touch first base and when he was tagged, he was out. The replay showed that Bauers clearly touched the first base bag with Bucknor only a few feet away from the play.

The call was instantly overturned.

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Bauers was seen smiling as he went back to first base, as was Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Rays manager Kevin Cash also couldn’t help but smirk at the situation.

Former New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain also weighed in.

“This is so bad you just have to laugh!! Something has to be done,” he wrote on X.

Milwaukee ended up winning the game, 6-2. Bauers was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He hit a home run off Yoendrys Gomez in the eighth inning to extend the lead.