Ty France was left searching for words after a truly wild moment in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1 of the National League Division Series. In the top of the ninth inning, France absolutely torched a high fly ball to left field that slammed into the roof of American Family Field. What should have been a monstrous home run turned into a simple out for Brewers left fielder Jackson Chourio, thanks to a quirky ground rule.
The Roof, The Call, And The “Bad Break”
Talk about a gut punch. France, understandably, was reeling after the play. He called it “a game-changing swing,” admitting he hadn’t “really been able to fully process that.” Padres manager Craig Stammen confirmed what we all suspected: the ground rules were actually a topic of discussion during the umpire meeting before the game. He’d been informed that any ball hitting the roof in fair territory is still in play. “Unfortunately, it was a bad break for us,” Stammen said, adding, “It looked like it was a possible home run. Just didn’t go our way.”
The Brewers, on the other hand, had their own take. First baseman Jake Bauers, who’s seen his share of roof deflections from his Rays days, said it had “never even crossed my mind” that a hitter could reach the American Family Field roof. Brewers manager Pat Murphy was convinced France’s fly ball was heading foul “for sure,” even saying, “I’m standing right on that line.” And Chourio, the man who made the catch, wasn’t even sure it hit anything at first. “I wasn’t all that sure that it even hit anything,” he told reporters. “I thought I had a chance on that ball the whole time off the bat, and the only thing I realized is that it kind of changed directions.” So, while the Padres felt robbed, the Brewers just played by the rules.
Where’s The Tech When You Need It?
Here’s where the real frustration boils over. The play was technically called correctly based on the existing ground rules, but that does little to soothe the anger in the Padres’ clubhouse. Ty France, for one, is ready for some serious upgrades. He pushed hard for more technology to track balls in domed stadiums. “You would think with all the technology and data and everything we have now, we’d be able to make a clear call on that,” France argued. “I don’t know if that’s ever been done before. There should be something put in place right there. That shouldn’t be an out. … We’ve got ball tracking, we’ve got exit [velocity], we’ve got projected distances. We have all that stuff.”
His teammate Manny Machado was right there with him. “I do know the fact that with all the technology we have in this game, I think that’s one of the situations where you kinda know what’s gonna happen,” Machado stated. He pointed out how the ball’s hit, launch angle, and all the stats are immediately on the board. “We should have the technology to have a better call there,” he concluded. It’s a fair point, right? With all the data available, why are we still relying on old-school ground rules for a freak play like that?
Moving On to Game 2
While the roof call was a major talking point, the Padres can’t ignore their overall performance. They left a staggering 12 runners on base and only went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position. They had chances to grab the lead well before that ninth-inning drama. It’s on Stammen and the whole squad to shake this off and regroup. Game 2 is set for Sunday at 4 p.m. ET, and they absolutely need to bounce back. The NLDS is a brutal sprint, and a controversial call in Game 1 can’t define their series. They need to come out firing.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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