CHICAGO — In the moments after the final game of their National League Wild Card Series, members of the San Diego Padres engaged in a brief shouting match with members of the umpiring crew that, the players felt, had hastened the end of their season.
During the top of the ninth, the Padres erupted in anger when home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn rung up Xander Bogaerts on a low strike-three call. Bogaerts, instead of earning a walk, immediately slammed his bat and began yelling at Reyburn, prompting Padres manager Mike Shildt to rush out of the dugout to the shortstop’s defense.
Minutes later, following a 3-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs, the umpiring crew walked off the field to their locker room at Wrigley Field. That path took them down the steps of the visiting dugout.
In a fan-captured video, it appeared Reyburn said something that incensed Bogaerts and one of his closest friends on the team, Jose Iglesias. The two infielders were held back by coaches and other umpires as momentary scuffling ensued. It was not clear whether Reyburn had initiated the exchange.
No punches were thrown, but after the game, Bogaerts remained livid about the low strike call.
The Padres were NOT happy with the umpires last night… 😳
(🎥: @padsfanatic)pic.twitter.com/rhJiNi1BGQ
— theScore (@theScore) October 3, 2025
“It messed up the whole game, you know?” Bogaerts said. “I mean, we can’t go back in time, and talking about it now won’t change anything. So, it was bad, and thank god for ABS next year, because it’s just terrible.”
When reached by text on Friday, just before the Padres’ charter was set to depart, Shildt said that the club has not heard from the league or umpires regarding the altercation. The umpires’ union and MLB both declined to comment.
The aforementioned video did not go viral until after reporters left the visiting clubhouse.
“Looked down to me,” Shildt said after the game, but before video of the altercation gained traction. “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.”
#Postseason
Umpire: D.J. Reyburn
Final: Padres 1, Cubs 3#ForTheFaithful // #BeHereForIt#SDvsCHC // #CHCvsSDMore stats for this ump 👇https://t.co/l1gZMUi1qp pic.twitter.com/dAbPXaVoh5
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) October 3, 2025
Next season, Major League Baseball will implement the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System. For the first time in regular-season history, batters, catchers and pitchers will have the right to challenge balls and strikes. Teams will begin each game with two available challenges and can continue challenging until they are twice proven wrong. Based on the video evidence Thursday night, the Padres could have used the yet-to-be-introduced system.
(Photo of the Padres’ Xander Bogaerts reacting to striking out in ninth inning of Game 3 loss to Cubs: K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
