PHOENIX — Pete Crow-Armstrong experienced considerable frustration two hours after a disputed call affected the game. During the scoreless game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Crow-Armstrong doubled in the sixth inning and reached third on a groundout. His aggressive movement towards home plate during Eduardo Rodríguez’s delivery appeared to induce a balk; however, the call went against the Chicago Cubs.
The umpires, led by crew chief Alfonso Márquez, gathered for a conference and upheld the original ruling of no balk. Crow-Armstrong reacted strongly and approached third-base umpire Malachi Moore before being restrained by third-base coach Quintin Berry. Post-conference, second-base umpire Lance Barksdale addressed Crow-Armstrong, furthering tensions.
Crow-Armstrong expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the umpires missed an obvious play and failed to rectify their mistake despite having the chance to do so.
I saw four umpires miss a pretty obvious play. Their job is to get calls right, and if they get it wrong, they’re supposed to talk about it and get it right. And they didn’t.
Márquez acknowledged through a reporter that the balk call was missed, which would have given the Cubs a lead. He noted that the umpires couldn’t request a video review of the sequence. Cubs manager Craig Counsell also criticized the error.
They flat out missed it. It’s obvious to everybody on TV. It’s hard to argue when they just flat out miss it.
Despite the missed call, the Cubs had other chances. Michael Busch drew a walk, but Nico Hoerner struck out, ending the sixth inning without scoring. The Diamondbacks capitalized on their opportunities, with Jordan Lawlar hitting a solo home run, and they added another run in the eighth.
The Cubs’ combined efforts from Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, and Matthew Boyd only allowed one run in 20 innings, although the team struggled overall. Crow-Armstrong reflected on his personal performance, acknowledging his own shortcomings in the series.
If I’m going to sit here and complain, I should have done better today. I should have had better at-bats all series.
Looking ahead, the Cubs aim to recover with upcoming games against the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, hoping to convert their solid pitching performances into wins.