San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores was the focal point of the controversial strikeout at the end of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.
Flores appeared to check his swing on a pitch from Max Scherzer. But first-base umpire Gabe Morales was given the call and he said Flores swung.
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“I don’t think I went. Every at-bat matters in a close game, but there are some things you can’t control,” Flores said, via MLB.com.
San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores, right, is called out swinging in front of Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith for the final out of the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco.
(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Giants manager Gabe Kapler added it was a “super tough” way to lose the game.
“Obviously, you don’t want a game to end that way. I know these guys work really hard to make the right call, so it’s super challenging on our end. … There’s no need to be angry about that. I just think it’s just a disappointing way to end. There are other reasons we didn’t win today’s baseball game,” he said.
San Francisco Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores, top, forces Los Angeles Dodgers’ Matt Beaty out at first during the ninth inning of Game 5 of a baseball National League Division Series Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, in San Francisco.
(AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Ultimately, it was Cody Bellinger who gave the Dodgers the late-game heroics, singling home Justin Turner in the top of the ninth inning to give Los Angeles the 2-1 lead.
WILMER FLORES STRIKEOUT TO END GIANTS’ SEASON IN NLDS CAUSES CONTROVERSY
Scherzer would make the final appearance and strike out Flores.
Los Angeles will play the Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series for the right to go to the World Series. The defending-champion Dodgers will look to play for the title for the fourth time in five years.
Wilmer Flores and Logan Webb (62) of the San Francisco Giants celebrate against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning of Game 1 of the National League Division Series at Oracle Park on Oct. 8, 2021, in San Francisco, California.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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The Giants, who won the National League West division with 107 wins, will have to watch the remainder of the playoffs from home.