- Rhys Hoskins hit a ball that was initially ruled a game-tying home run against the Mets on Sunday.
- But umpires changed the ruling to a two-run double after looking at it on instant replay.
- The Phillies crowd and dugout voiced their displeasure with the umpires after the ruling.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
MLB's instant replay rule reared its ugly head again on Sunday night, this time unleashing the vitriol of Philadelphia sports.
Philadelphia first baseman Rhys Hoskins hit a ball that was initially ruled a game-tying three-run home run off of New York Mets relief pitcher Edwin Diaz in the bottom of the ninth inning at Citizen's bank park. But the ball didn't quite get out of the park, bouncing off the top of the right-field fence.
-ESPN (@espn) May 3, 2021
After a lengthy instant-replay review, umpires took Hoskins' home run away, changing it to a two-run ground-rule double, and the Phillies trailed 8-7.
ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast showed the Phillies' dugout reaction to the umpire's new call in real-time, revealing a response from Hoskins that was likely laced with profanity, as he had to trek back onto the field to run the bases.
For Hoskins, the ruling didn't just cost his team a chance to win the game, but it also stripped him of a personal accomplishment, as it would have been his 100th career home run.
"They had clear evidence to turn it over, and that's what it was," Hoskins said after the game. "Frustration is high."
The Phillies' social media team even put up a post celebrating Hoskins' home run on Twitter and haven't taken it down even though the call was overturned.
-Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 3, 2021
The attending fans at Citizens Bank Park compounded Hoskins' reaction with a raucous boo and profanity-laced chants toward the umpires.
Star outfield Bryce Harper then came up to the plate with another chance to tie or win the game against Mets reliever Jeurys Familia who replaced Diaz after Hoskins' hit. But Harper struck out, as the Phillies lost 8-7 and dropped two of three against the Metts in the weekend series.
The Phillies' social media team also wasn't done defying the game's officiating after the final pitch, as they trolled the Mets and the umpires with a Spongebob Squarepants-themed tweet rejecting the final score of the game.
-Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) May 3, 2021
Phillies manager Joe Girardi was disappointed with the outcome as well but agreed with the umpire's call.
"I mean, it's a replay. I mean, that's what the replay system is there for," Girardi said in the postgame press conference. "I mean, obviously, it's frustrating it goes against us, but I'm assuming that they were right. I mean, I'm making the assumption, and you know I've said all along -- the whole idea is to get calls right. It's frustrating because we thought we tied it up, and then it's kind of like, you know, it's tough."
The controversial review capped off a testy, controversy-ridden weekend in Philadelphia that has suddenly rejuvenated the Mets-Phillies rivalry after spending the last decade on the shelf.
Mets first baseman Dominic Smith invited Phillies relief pitcher José Alvarado to "meet him in the tunnel if he wants to get after it" after the Phillies' 2-1 win on Friday night. Smith and Alvarado got in each other's face, sparking a benches-clearing scuffle in the middle of the field when Alvarado struck out Smith and provided a demonstrative celebration in the eighth inning.
Then on Saturday, Girardi skewered umpire Jose Navas after calling Phillies outfielder Andrew McCutchen out for leaving the baseline on a double-play attempt in the eighth inning of a tie game. Replay showed that McCutchen appeared to be running in a straight line, but the call was not reviewable, and the Phillies lost that game 5-4.
The Mets and Phillies are scheduled to meet again in late June at Citi Field, with 10 more meetings left in total between the two teams. This past weekend's events combined with a week NL East that has the two teams within a game of each other for a share of first place will surely put a heightened spotlight on those matchups, as it will be one of the more monitored rivalries in baseball this season.