Giants Beat Brewers on Questionable Bases-Loaded Balk Call
It’s been a tough 24 hours for Brewers fans after watching their team fall to the Giants for a second night in a row in heartbreaking fashion.
Facing a 1–2 count in the bottom of the eighth inning, Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski awaited a pitch from Brewers reliever Jandel Gustave with the bases loaded and the game tied 1–1. The tense staredown was suddenly disrupted by an eruption of applause from the Oracle Park crowd as home plate umpire Pat Hoberg called a balk on just a slight movement by Gustave.
The call allowed Wilmer Flores to score the go-ahead run to give San Francisco the lead as a perplexed Gustave looked around for an explanation. Yastrzemski would eventually strike out to close the inning but the Giants managed to hang on for a 2–1 victory as Dominic Leone earned his second save of the season after retiring Kolten Wong to end the game.
Saturday’s loss adds another unconventional ending to the Giants-Brewers series on the heels of Brewers closer Josh Hader’s ninth-inning collapse Friday night.
Hader continued his recent slump by allowing three home runs, including a walk-off grand slam by Yastrzemski, to give the Giants an 8–5 win.
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