The Rundown: Marlins fume after replay opens the door to a three-run inning and a loss

Baseball’s two biggest rules additions for the 2014 season collided Thursday, and the results were awful.

The Reds beat the Marlins 3-1 in Miami, in a game loaded with controversy. The Marlins led 1-0 in the eighth inning but Cincinnati had the bases loaded with one out. Todd Frazier lifted a lazy fly to right field and Giancarlo Stanton made the catch and threw to the plate to get Zack Cozart, who had tagged up at third.

Marlins catcher Jeff Mathis applied the tag and the inning ended. Only it didn’t. The umpires decided to review the play (a new rule this year) and Cozart was allowed to score because Mathis was judged to have blocked the plate illegally (the other new rule).

Cincinnati ended up scoring a couple more runs, and the Marlins were none too happy about the umpires’ interpretation of Rule 7.13, which is supposed to limit the number of home-plate collisions. Unless the catcher is in possession of the ball, the catcher cannot block the pathway of the runner as he is attempting to score.

It’s the so-called Buster Posey rule, for the Giants catcher who was seriously injured on a play at the plate. Naturally, there was disagreement on the ruling.

“As a former catcher in this league for 13 seasons, as a grinder, as a guy who loves this game and respects this game so much, this game has been a part of my life forever, but to lose a ballgame … on that play is a joke. It’s an absolute joke,” Marlins manager Mark Redmond said.

Reds manager Bryan Price thought the umpires made the right call, but thinks the rule will be reviewed in the future.

“We’re trying to protect the catchers — I get it — but I imagine this is something that in the offseason that there’s going to be some serious discussions about changing that rule,” Price told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Lost in the hoopla over the call was the length of time it took for the umpires to reach a decision: more than six minutes, then more time for Redmond’s “discussion” with the umpires. (He was ejected.)

“Six minute replay where Bryan Morris doesn’t have time to rewarm up,” Marlins team president David Samson told the Enquirer. “It never should have happened. Period. And there’s absolutely nothing that can be done except MLB learns a lesson when you make a rule to protect one catcher who was hurt one time because he was mispositioned and the entire 100-year history of baseball is changed because of that one misposition and it causes a mistake like this — there’s been a mistake. And I assume MLB will address it in the offseason.”

Statistically speaking

Cleveland’s Corey Kluber is the only pitcher in the last 100 years to have two consecutive starts in which he faced just 28 batters in nine innings. They came Wednesday against Seattle and July 24 at Kansas City.

Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee is batting .261, which is higher than 57 players who qualify for the batting crown.

Since June 9, the Giants have gone 7-21 (.250) at AT&T Park after starting the season there 22-9 (.710).

You need to know

When the Cubs beat Colorado on Tuesday, backup catcher John Baker pitched a scoreless top of the 16th inning and was the first Cubs position player to pick up a win in extra innings since Fred Pfeffer in 1885.

Zack Greinke joined A.J. Burnett as the only pitchers to strike out four batters in an inning in both leagues when he fanned a quartet of Giants in the third inning on July 25. He struck out four in an inning while pitching for the Angels in 2012.

On Tuesday, the Rangers joined the 2000 Indians, 2002, 2008 and 2009 Padres and 2012 Blue Jays as the only big-league clubs since 1901 to use 32 or more pitchers in a season.

Through Thursday, the Indians had played just 50 home games this season. In September, though, the Tribe will play 17 of their final 27 at home.

Words of wisdom

“All the blinds were closed. I figured I was either going to get (a) beating or I got traded somewhere.”

Justin Masterson on being called to Indians manager Terry Francona’s office. He was traded to the Cardinals

This story was originally published August 2, 2014 at 4:50 PM with the headline "The Rundown: Marlins fume after replay opens the door to a three-run inning and a loss."