Controversial Call Mars Chicago Cubs vs. Arizona Diamondbacks Game

Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs remained upset hours after a key call in their game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Cubs struggled against Arizona’s Eduardo Rodríguez. In the sixth inning, Crow-Armstrong hit a double, giving the Cubs a chance to drive in a run in a scoreless game.

After reaching third on a groundout, Crow-Armstrong attempted to score on Rodríguez’s 2-1 pitch to Michael Busch. His advance seemed to have forced a balk call, but the umpires disagreed. The resulting decision angered Crow-Armstrong during the Cubs’ 2-0 loss.

Plate umpire and crew chief Alfonso Márquez led a discussion among the umpires, ultimately deciding against calling the balk. This prompted an immediate reaction from Crow-Armstrong, requiring intervention by third-base coach Quintin Berry to avoid an ejection.

I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play. Crow-Armstrong commented, expressing frustration with the umpire’s judgment.

After the game, Márquez admitted an error in not calling the balk. The balk would have allowed Crow-Armstrong to score, potentially changing the outcome. Video review was not requested to revisit the incident.

Despite Busch’s walk, Nico Hoerner struck out, ending the inning and the Cubs’ chance to score. Shortly after, Diamondbacks’ Jordan Lawlar hit a home run off Matthew Boyd. Arizona extended their lead with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, sealing Chicago’s loss.

The Cubs’ manager Craig Counsell expressed his disappointment.
They flat out missed it. He observed the error was clear to everyone except the umpires.

Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Boyd delivered strong performances, conceding just one run over 20 innings. However, their efforts went unrewarded. The Cubs ended their trip with a 2-4 record, marked by three walk-off defeats.

Crow-Armstrong was critical of his performance, hitting 1-for-12 with three strikeouts in the series.
If I’m going to sit here and bitch about all this stuff, I should have done better today. He vowed to improve in upcoming games.

Chicago has a rest day before facing the Cincinnati Reds, leading into a significant series against the Milwaukee Brewers.