It was a tough scene at Oracle Park last night, and not just because of the controversial check-swing call that ended the Giants’ season.
After first-base umpire Gabe Morales called Wilmer Flores out on strikes, the sold-out crowd understandably lost it, but a few went too far. Objects and cups of beer were thrown onto the field as the umpires exited and the Dodgers celebrated.
Mike Krukow joined Murph and Mac on Friday morning, and explained that while he was devastated by the call and the way the game ended, he doesn’t blame the umpires for the loss. He also expressed disgust at the way some reacted.
“The check-swing call,” Krukow began, “I saw it from the centerfield camera and I said ‘He swung, he swung at the ball.’ Then when we got off the air I looked at the replay from the side and said ‘Oh my god he didn’t swing.’ That’s not a swing.
“It didn’t matter. To sit here and be just devastated over what had happened because of a check-swing, what happened last night was so much more. I’m still ticked off about the called strike three on LaMonte Wade, I thought that was a bogus call.
“But I’m not going to go in that trap of falling into an abyss of what could have been because of an umpire call. I don’t, I’ve defended umpires all year, all my life, because I do think they are an incredible part of the game. When they left last night, fans were throwing stuff at them and that hurt me. I didn’t want to ever see that. Because I know their effort and I know how hard they try and how personally they take it.
“Gabe Morales, I’ll tell you right now was devastated when he saw the replay, I guarantee you right now. He knew he blew the call. It just didn’t seem right to sit there and dwell on that.”
Perhaps Morales knew he blew the call, but he refused to admit as much when asked about it postgame.
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Listen to the full interview below.