bullshit call

[EXTRAPOLATER]

go retrieve it

 

[BMONEY83]

1000% the correct call

 

[Slumdog]

That was some crazy bad luck !!!! Wowwwwwww. Sorry pew pew. The chances of that ball getting wedged in there was probably 300 million to 1 !!

 

[MadJack]

He should have hit it over the wall.

 

[MadJack]

I asked Grok

The IncidentIn Game 6 of the 2025 World Series on October 31, 2025, at Rogers Centre, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Addison Barger hit a 98 mph line drive to deep left-center in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Jays trailing 3-1. A runner (Myles Straw, pinch-running for Alejandro Kirk) was on first base with no outs. The ball struck the base of the outfield wall and became lodged underneath the padding, triggering MLB's "lodged ball" rule. This ruled it a dead ball and automatic ground-rule double: Straw returned to third base, and Barger to second. The Jays failed to score in the inning, losing 3-1 and forcing a Game 7.The play was reviewed via instant replay and upheld, though some Jays players (like Isiah Kiner-Falefa) argued the ball wasn't fully "stuck" and was still movable.

torontosun.com
Blue Jays manager John Schneider called it a "tough break" he'd "never seen... ever."

essentiallysports.com
MLB Rule on Lodged BallsUnder MLB Rule 5.05(a)(7), if a fair ball "sticks in" or passes under a fence, wall, scoreboard, or similar structure before it's fielded, it's a dead ball. Runners and the batter advance two bases from their positions at the time of the pitch (or touch, if applicable). This prevents unfair advantages from unplayable balls. Ground rules for each stadium (including Rogers Centre) specify details, but the core rule applies universally.

fansided.com
Had the Dodgers' center fielder (Justin Dean) fielded it immediately instead of signaling the umpires, Straw likely scores, but the rule protects against that ambiguity.

dailyhive.com
Chances of This HappeningQuantifying the exact probability is challenging without proprietary MLB tracking data on wall interactions, but we can estimate based on available insights:

• Rarity in MLB: This is an extraordinarily uncommon event. Schneider (with years of experience) and outfielder Daulton Varsho both stated they'd never witnessed a ball lodging in a wall at Rogers Centre, despite the stadium's hard outfield walls typically causing caroms.
  
  mlb.com +1
  Broad MLB commentary echoes this: "You don't see this everyday."
  
  sportingnews.com
  No comprehensive stats exist publicly, but lodged-ball calls occur in fewer than 1-2 games per season across all 2,430 regular-season games (extrapolated from rare rule discussions and umpiring reports). In playoffs (162 games/year), it's even scarcer—potentially once every 5-10 years.
• Stadium-Specific Factors at Rogers Centre: The park's outfield walls have a unique padded design with gaps at the base, but balls almost always bounce back due to the wall's rigidity.
  
  theglobeandmail.com
  For a deep fly ball like Barger's (estimated 380-400 feet, based on exit velocity and angle), the odds hinge on a precise trajectory: it must hit within inches of the wall's bottom edge at the right speed and spin to wedge without rolling under fully or popping out. Analysts note that if the ball had been "an inch higher or lower," it bounces free.
  
  sportingnews.com
  Using basic physics (ballparked via exit velo and park dimensions):
  • Probability per deep hit to that spot: ~0.1-0.5% (1 in 200-1,000), factoring in wall geometry and historical bounce rates.
  • Overall in a game: With ~70-80 balls in play per game, but only ~5-10 reaching deep outfield walls, the game-wide odds drop to <0.01% (1 in 10,000+).
• Contextual Odds for the Jays: In a high-leverage spot (bottom 9th, trail by 2, runner on), the Jays had ~25-30% win probability pre-at-bat (per typical models). This play reduced it by ~10-15% (no run scored vs. potential tie), but the lodging itself was a 1-in-thousands fluke—not strategy or skill.

In short, the chances were minuscule—likely under 0.1% for that exact outcome—making it one of baseball's cruelest rarities. The Dodgers capitalized on the break, but the Jays' self-inflicted errors (e.g., Barger doubled off second) sealed the inning. Game 7 loomed as the decider.

 

[MadJack]

fixed so it would go to 7 games. #magnets

 

[gagnon691]

And they say you can't make this shit up, we'll they're leaning on the fly

 

[EXTRAPOLATER]

MLB Rule on Lodged BallsUnder MLB Rule 5.05(a)(7), if a fair ball "sticks in" or passes under a fence, wall, scoreboard, or similar structure before it's fielded, it's a dead ball. Runners and the batter advance two bases from their positions at the time of the pitch (or touch, if applicable). This prevents unfair advantages from unplayable balls. Ground rules for each stadium (including Rogers Centre) specify details, but the core rule applies universally.

• Stadium-Specific Factors at Rogers Centre: The park's outfield walls have a unique padded design with gaps at the base, but balls almost always bounce back due to the wall's rigidity.

Thank-you, sir. I was going to look up the wording of this rule but found myself too drunk and disgruntled.

It gets worse; as soon as I submitted this gripe, my internet went down immediately. I flicked on the radio play and went to go check the status of the modem, at which time the next batter (can't remember and ain't looking it up!) flew or lined out and I got to hear the boneheaded doubled-off from the next room.

I've seen balls hit near the base of the wall--with a fielder waiting for the carom--forcing the fielder to take a longer path, etc. What can you do? I accept that it was the right, shitty call.

Everybody loves a game #7.

Go Blue Jays!!!