Replay gone wild in Dodgers game

SAN FRANCISCO -- OK, this is weird. Really weird. I’m fairly certain I saw this happen, but I'm not completely sure. But if I didn’t see this happen, that means I’m not really blogging right now, which means ... wait, do I really exist? ... OK, forget it. Let me just tell you what I think I saw.

The Dodgers and San Francisco Giants were in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Bengie Molina hit a deep drive off Scott Proctor that hit the top of the brick wall in right field and bounced back into the field of play. Molina was credited with a single and was replaced by pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss.

The Giants protested, forced the umpiring crew to retreat underground and use video replay for the first time in the history of AT&T Park. That, for some reason, drew a standing ovation.

The crew re-emerged and ruled that Molina had homered.

Case closed, right? Not quite.

Burriss, who was standing on second, completed Molina’s home run trot to tie the score at 2-2.

Dodgers Manager Joe Torre, it seemed, argued that because Burriss was signaled into the game, Burriss had to be in the game and Molina had to be out of it. The umpires deliberated, placed a call to official scorer Michael Duca and ruled in Torre’s favor.

Diamond Leung of the Riverside Press-Enterprise asked Dodgers PR director Josh Rawitch if Molina was credited with the home run and Burriss the run. Rawitch, in turn, turned to Duca, who said, “Guys, I have no idea!”

I’m guessing the rule book has no mention of this scenario.

Duca just announced over the press box speaker that Molina was credited with a home run and two runs batted in. Burriss was credited with the run.

The Giants, who entered play Friday night 19 games under .500, are playing this game under protest.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Photo: Giants pinch-runner Emmanuel Burriss can't stop laughing as he returns to the dugout past teammate Aaron Rowand after completing the home-run trot for Bengie Molina. Credit: Jeff Chiu / Associated Press

Comments

[Bruce]

But if Molina was out of the game, then play had continued past his hit. Technically, this is not much different than the next batter getting in the box and swinging at a pitch. The game has moved on. How can the Giants initial protest on the hit even be allowed after play continued past the hit?

[matt]

i have no clue how this can happen in order to have a pinch runner the play has to end and the ball is no longer in play so to argue a call after you stopped play was stupid becuase know its going to be a bigger deal than it should be if the giants kept molina in then it could have been a homerun i think that since the umpires didnt know what was going on they called it a homerun