Padres Shortstop Voices Frustration Over Crucial Strike Call

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts expressed his frustration over a controversial strike call during the ninth inning of his team's 3-1 defeat against the Chicago Cubs in Game 3 of the National League Wild Card Series on Thursday. Speaking with Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune (h/t ESPN), Bogaerts pointed to a low pitch from Cubs pitcher Brad Keller that was called a strike by home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn on a critical 3-2 count.

Bogaerts remarked, "Talk about it now: What do you want me to do? It's a ball. Messed up the whole game, you know? I mean, can't go back in time, and talking about it now won't change anything. So it was bad, and thank God for ABS next year because this is terrible." This pivotal call struck a blow to the Padres' hopes, as Bogaerts was struck out. Following him, the next two batters were hit by pitches, leaving tying runners on base with one out.

Despite the favorable scenario, reliever Andrew Kittredge stepped in and secured two consecutive outs, taking the win for the Cubs and ending the Padres' season prematurely. If Bogaerts had walked, the Padres could have begun the ninth inning with a runner on base and potentially loaded the bases with no outs, had Keller continued to hit batters.

The controversial call adds to the discussion surrounding the upcoming implementation of a challenge system for balls and strikes in Major League Baseball, set to debut in 2026. This new system, having been tested successfully in minor leagues and All-Star Games, will allow teams to challenge two ball and strike calls per game. A successful challenge would permit the team to retain their challenge, while two unsuccessful challenges would end their ability to challenge.

While the specifics of challenging a call in the ninth inning would be uncertain under this new system, it's evident that teams will want to reserve challenges for critical moments, much like the situation Bogaerts faced.

Despite the disappointing end to their season, it is noteworthy that this year's Padres made the postseason for the fourth time in six years. However, their exit marks the earliest in this timeframe, as they had previously advanced to the National League Division Series in 2020, 2022, and 2024. Meanwhile, the Cubs advance to the NLDS for the first time since 2017, where they will face off against the Milwaukee Brewers, the team with the best record in baseball at 97-65.