It’s the top of the eighth and Kyle Seager is at the plate with one out and runners on first and second. The Mariners third baseman hits a ground ball to second base, Steve Pearce tags the bag to retire Nelson Cruz and fires a throw off the mark to first base.
Seager is safe, but he slips on the bag and falls while he appeared to round the bag. Chris Davis applies the tag, but the first base umpire calls Seager safe. Here’s the GIF:
Buck Showalter came out of the O’s dugout to chat with umpire John Hirschbeck about the call, but opted not to challenge. How come?
According to data from BaseballSavant.com, the Orioles have challenged just five plays this season (one challenge every 7.2 games). Only the Pirates have challenged fewer. Three of those five have been overturned.
This is similar to what we saw from them in 2014. Baltimore challenged 28 plays (one challenge every 5.78 games), while most teams were between 35-38.
Should the Orioles utilize the replay challenge system more? Or are they simply not involved in as many challengeable plays as other teams?
Buck is saving his bullets. The town’s other coach wastes his challenges on calls he cannot win.