The Giants were angry at having to lose a game in such fashion. With the protest, the team hopes Major League Baseball will rule the game suspended and have the teams finish it later. Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants filed an official protest over their controversial loss to the Chicago Cubs, multiple media outlets reported Wednesday.
The Cubs took a rain-shortened, 2-0 victory over the Giants on Tuesday night after the Wrigley Field grounds crew had trouble getting the tarp on the field during a rainstorm in the fifth inning. The infield dirt was destroyed during the 15-minute storm.
The umpires finally called the game after 4 1/2 innings and a 4-hour, 34-minute delay.
“We believe the rules were not properly applied last night,” Giants president and CEO Larry Baer told the San Francisco Chronicle.
According to the Chronicle, the Giants allege the Wrigley tarp is a “mechanical field device,” which would give them grounds for the protest.
The Giants were angry at having to lose a game in such fashion. With the protest, the team hopes Major League Baseball will rule the game suspended and have the teams finish it later.
“I’m frustrated. Beside myself,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said after the game was finally called. “(A protest) is my last (recourse). I hope they listen and watch what happened there because in this day and time it shouldn’t happen — can’t happen, I think, with the importance of these games. I’m going to leave it at that.”
Umpires emerged at 1:10 Wednesday morning to probe various infield spots and finally called the game.
“I think the problem that all the parties faced was, by the baseball rulebook, there was nothing to put our hat on to suspend the game,” home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt said. “The game became regulation with the home team winning in the top of the fifth inning. That’s a complete game, a regulation complete game, and there was really no way around it.”
