Ejected Twins manager Rocco Baldelli blasts overturned call in loss to Jays as 'one of the worst moments' of umpiring he's ever seen

MINNEAPOLIS — An overturned call in the 10th inning Sunday led to a 3-2 Blue Jays victory and an ejection for Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, who labeled the play «one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring in any game I've ever been a part of in baseball.»

Caleb Thielbar pitched the 10th for the Twins and gave up a sacrifice fly to Toronto's Cavan Biggio, with Whit Merrifield running from third. Merrifield was originally called out at the plate trying to score the game-winning run, but the call was reversed after Twins catcher Gary Sanchez was deemed to have interfered with Merrifield.

«It's one of the worst moments I think we've seen of umpiring in any game I've ever been a part of in baseball, and I think it was pathetic what just played out,'' said Baldelli, who was ejected for arguing the call, the eighth time in his career he was thrown out of a game and third this season.

Replay officials ruled Sanchez did not establish a clear lane for Merrifield, whose right foot collided with Sanchez's left leg as he slid into home plate. The out would have ended the inning.

»I had a feeling there was going to be a play at the plate,'' Merrifield said. «Put my head down first couple steps then looked up and tried to figure out how to get into home plate and saw Gary straddling home plate so tried to just slide into him, straight into him best I could. I know what the rule is, it was just a matter of if they were going to call it.''

Sanchez argued that he left a path.

»He slid towards me. I'm just tagging him," Sanchez said. «I had the ball first. I think the line was open for him to slide to the side. He didn't. It was a clean play.''

After blowing a save opportunity in the ninth inning, Jordan Romano closed out the