WATCH: Padres Dugout Gets into Heated Altercation with Umpires After Controversial Strikeout Call Against Xander Bogaerts in 3-1 Loss to Cubs

The San Diego Padres' dugout was not happy with the strikeout call of Xander Bogaerts in the 9th inning and went off on the umpires after their 3-1 loss.

WATCH: Padres Dugout Gets into Heated Altercation with Umpires After Controversial Strikeout Call Against Xander Bogaerts in 3-1 Loss to Cubs

Xander Bogaerts was controversially ruled out in the 9th inning against the Cubs (Image via MLB/X/@padsfanatic)

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The San Diego Padres are going home empty-handed once again. The NL West side lost Game 3 of the Wild Card against the Chicago Cubs and were eliminated from the playoffs. Following this, their dugout got into a heated altercation with the umpires following a controversial strikeout call against Xander Bogaerts.

Things initially escalated in the top of the 9th inning when the Padres found themselves on the brink of elimination. Bogaerts would go up against Brad Keller.

The Padres’ shortstop would manage to work out a 3-2 count to lead off the inning. Then came the controversial moment.

A 97 mph fastball from Keller would miss the imaginary box. Bogaerts would assume that it would be called ball four and started to take a few steps towards first base. The former Boston Red Sox star was left in shock when the home plate umpire D.J. Reyburn ruled it a strike instead of ball four.

The 33-year-old was left livid with the decision. His manager, Mike Shildt, would come out of the dugout and try to have a word with the umpire.

So instead of a walk, a strikeout call was issued by the umpire for the first out of the inning. The Padres would then get the next batters on base. Had the umpires ruled that pitch from Keller as ball four, the Californian side would have gotten the bases loaded with no outs while being 3-1 down.

This call from the umpire turned out to be huge as the Padres went on to lose the game and suffer an early elimination from the 2025 playoffs. After their exit, things got heated between the umpires and the Padres dugout.

In a video captured by a fan, the Padres dugout can be seen yelling at the umpires while they entered the dugout after leaving the field. Some of them would try to get into their faces and were held back. The umpires would quickly make their way out before the situation escalated any further.

Xander Bogaerts lashes out at “bad” call from umpires following 3-1 loss against Padres

Xander Bogaerts was not at all pleased with the call from the home plate umpire, D.J. Reyburn. After the game, he would lash out at the “bad” call and hoped for the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) System to come soon to the league.

Padres' Xander Bogaerts
Xander Bogaerts (Image via Newsweek)

A few days ago, the MLB officially announced that the ABS system would be in use in the MLB from next season. The ABS challenge system was used in the Spring Training this year, and there had been talks about its full implementation in the league soon.

After the strike call from the game on Thursday, Bogaerts wants that system to come soon to the league.

Talk about it now: what do you want me to do? It’s a ball. Messed up the whole game, you know? I mean, 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 this is terrible.

Xander Bogaerts told San Diego Union-Tribune

Meanwhile, MLB insider Jeff Passan would label it as a “horrendous” call and wished for the arrival of the ABS soon.

That is a horrendous call and ABS cannot come soon enough.

Jeff Passan on X

Bogaerts ended the day going 1-for-4. The Padres’ offense would once again go cold, which ultimately proved costly for them.

Padres’ big two, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado, struggled in Wild Card Series against the Cubs

As the San Diego Padres reached the playoffs again, their fans were hoping for a strong performance from their dynamic duo of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. Unfortunately for them, the two of them struggled in the entire Wild Card series.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado (Image via Imago)

Tatis Jr. would go 0-for-4 on Thursday while striking out 3 times. Meanwhile, Machado went 0-for-3 in this do-or-die game.

The superstar duo combined to manage just 2 hits in 22 plate appearances and had just one home run to show for it. Tatis would bat with a .083 average while Machado hit with a .100 average.

The wait for a first World Series championship will go on for the Padres. Had they won the Wild Card series, they would have faced the Milwaukee Brewers in the next round. The Cubs will now take on their NL Central rivals in the National League Division Series (NLDS).

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