The San Diego Padres engaged in a brief verbal altercation with multiple umpires after the team’s 2025 MLB postseason run came to an end with a Game 3 loss to the Chicago Cubs in their National League Wild Card Series, per Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
After home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn called strike three on Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts in the ninth inning, Bogaerts and teammate Jose Iglesias exchanged words with Reyburn before they were held back by coaches once the game came to an end (via Lin).
Bogaerts still wasn’t pleased with the call when speaking to reporters following the loss, looking forward to the implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike Challenge System (ABS) in 2026.
“It messed up the whole game, you know? I mean, we can’t go back in time, and talking about it now won’t change anything,” Bogaerts said, per Lin. “So, it was bad, and thank god for ABS next year, because it’s just terrible.”
The strikeout occurred just after Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill launched a solo home run to open the top of the ninth inning that cut Chicago’s lead to 3-1. A walk for Bogaerts would have allowed the potential game-tying run to come to the plate.
San Diego was eventually able to put runners on first and second after Bogaerts’ at-bat and both runners advanced due to a groundout from Jake Cronenworth. A flyout by Freddy Fermin ultimately sealed the loss, though.
Padres manager Mike Shildt discussed the situation involving Bogaerts and Reyburn after the game.
“Looked down to me,” Shildt said, via Lin. “You know, but I don’t see great, and I am kind of far away. But most importantly, Bogey felt like he was down. He is not a guy — you know, not any of our guys really, but Bogey in particular — is not a guy that’s overly dramatic about close pitches. It’s a big pitch. It’s a big swing pitch. You know, it turns the tying run and what would have unfolded after that could have been very impactful, but we had other opportunities, too.”
Bogaerts finished 1-for-4 in Thursday’s loss.
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