Interference call cuts Reds' rally short in loss

CINCINNATI – Austin Hays represented the tying run for the Reds with one out in the eighth inning against the Mariners. Elly De La Cruz stole second base easily and a late-game rally was cooking.

Then suddenly, it all just fell apart. Hays struck out and De La Cruz was ruled out by home-plate umpire Chris Segal to end the inning.

Reds fans were confused and bewildered as they booed throughout the final inning of Cincinnati's 5-3 loss to the Mariners at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday.

What on Earth happened?

Rule 6.05 (a) (5) is what happened.

De La Cruz broke for second base as Mariners lefty reliever Gabe Speier struck out Hays with a slider. Hays' momentum from his swing sent him over the plate as catcher Cal Raleigh threw over his head in an effort to get De La Cruz. Raleigh's throw clearly lacked zip.

As De La Cruz dusted himself off at second base, Segal stepped forward and signaled that the runner was also out.

Reds manager Terry Francona came out to see Segal, prepared for confrontation.

“Because of the situation of the game, you kind of go out there and you want to yell," Francona said. "And he gave me a good explanation. I kind of appreciated that he didn't [mislead] me. He just said, ‘I know it sucks, because Elly was safe easily. But [Raleigh] had to alter his throw because [Hays’] body came across the plate.’

"I went and looked at it. As much as I didn’t want to agree, he gave me a good explanation. It hurts in that part of the game but I do respect the way [Segal] handled it.”

Reds fans? Not so much. They booed loudly as Seattle came off the field and it continued into the ninth inning.

Rule 6.05 (a) (5) states: Any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate.

"That was a big play, no doubt, and that's a play that doesn't get called very often," said Mariners manager Dan Wilson, who was a catcher for both these teams in the 1990s. "I feel like it should get called more, but it really looked like it doesn't need to have contact. It just needs to impede the throw, and it clearly did. A big turnaround for us. Obviously, getting two outs on that one play is big, and Gabe was able to take it from there."

For Cincinnati, which trailed 5-0 midway through the sixth inning, the loss snapped a four-game winning streak after it had also won six of the previous seven games.

Over 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches, Reds starter Nick Martinez allowed four runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts. After a De La Cruz fielding error to lead the game off, Seattle scored an unearned run on a Randy Arozarena RBI double. The Mariners added one run in the second inning on a Ben Williamson RBI single, one in the fourth inning on J.P Crawford's RBI single and a fourth run on the first of Raleigh's two home runs in the game.

“They one’d us to death tonight," Francona said. "Normally when you stay away from a crooked number, you have a chance to win like we did. But they kept getting one.”

The Reds did have some other opportunities snuffed out on the bases. Jose Trevino was waved around but thrown out trying to score from second base on TJ Friedl's two-out single in the bottom of the third inning.

After walking and stealing second base in the fourth inning, De La Cruz was picked off by Mariners starter Bryce Miller. As De La Cruz broke, Miller stepped off the rubber and turned and ran towards him for a rundown play. Instead of continuing to third base, De La Cruz tried turning around and went out of the baseline as Miller threw to second base.

“Once that happens, you just -- I don’t know -- pick your poison," Francona said. "Hope they make a bad throw, something. They did a good job of lulling him into where he didn’t think they were paying attention and they certainly were.”

The Reds notched three straight hits in the seventh inning against reliever Troy Taylor, including Christian Encarnacion-Strand's two-run double to left field. A one-out RBI single by Trevino made it a two-run game before Friedl's single put runners on the corners. The inning ended when Matt McLain grounded to second base for an inning-ending double play.