Realmuto’s Controversial Call Helps Phillies Edge Mariners in Close Game

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies benefited from another catcher’s interference call, leading to a pivotal moment in their game against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

In the first inning, J.T. Realmuto was called out on strikes on a pitch from Bryce Miller that appeared to seal the inning. However, Realmuto disputed the call, claiming that Seattle catcher Mitch Garver interfered with his swing.

Garver was filling in as catcher for regular calif, Cal Raleigh, who served as the designated hitter. The Phillies challenged the interference call, and a video review confirmed that Garver’s glove had indeed interfered with Realmuto’s bat, resulting in an award of first base for Realmuto.

Last month, the Phillies experienced similar luck against the Boston Red Sox, where catcher Carlos Narvaez was called for interference in consecutive games. In one case, the infraction resulted in a walk-off win for Philadelphia, marking the first walk-off catcher’s interference since 1971.

In Tuesday’s game, despite the controversy, the inning ended without further damage. Alec Bohm grounded into a fielder’s choice on the first pitch after the review, leaving Seattle trailing 1-0, thanks to Kyle Schwarber’s league-leading 44th home run earlier in the inning.

Last season, Major League Baseball set a record for catcher’s interference calls, tallying 100 instances, surpassing the previous year’s total of 96.