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June 15 (UPI) -- Manager Dave Martinez was so angry about a non-call during a loss to the Houston Astros that he printed a photo of the play as part of a postgame outburst, saying the Washington Nationals lost because of the decision. The sequence occurred at a news conference Wednesday in Houston. The Astros beat the National 5-4, scoring the winning run after a throw hit center fielder Jake Meyers in the helmet as he ran to first base.
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"I can't do nothing about those umpires," Martinez said. "I really can't. They need to take a look at that and understand he [home plate umpire Jeremy Riggs] screwed that play up."
Martinez could be fined as a result of his comments.
Meyers stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and the score tied 4-4 in the bottom of the final inning. He hit a 2-2 fastball from Nationals relief pitcher Hunter Harvey to shortstop C.J. Abrams. Abrams threw to catcher Kiebert Ruiz to get Kyle Tucker out at home.
Ruiz then threw toward first base, hitting Meyers -- who was running inside the base line -- in the helmet. The ball ricocheted into the outfield, allowing first baseman Jose Abreu to score the winning run. Ruiz was charged with an error.
MLB rules state that a batter is out if, while running the last half of distance from home to first base and the ball is being thrown, he runs to the left of the foul line and -- in the umpire's judgement -- interferes with the fielder receiving the throw to first base.
Martinez was asked about the play to open his postgame news conference. He pulled out a piece of paper, which showed Meyers running in the grass to the left of the line during the back half of his run to first.
"I'm over this play, seriously," Martinez said. "They need to fix the rule. If this is what the umpire sees, that he is running down the line, I'm tired of it. Fix it. We lost the game and [Riggs] had nothing to say about it because he can't make the right call. Brutal.
"He said he saw him run down the line. I said 'we lost the game because you made the wrong call.'"
The Nationals trailed 4-0 through four innings. They scored once in the fifth and added three more runs in the top of the ninth to tie the score.
Abreu went 3 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the victory. Nationals first baseman Dominic Smith went 2 for 4 with an RBI triple.
Wednesday's controversial call was similar to a ruling during Game 6 of the 2019 World Series, when the Nationals beat the Astros to tie the series 3-3.
The Nationals led 3-2 in the top of the seventh inning of that World Series game. Then-Nationals shortstop Trea Turner hit a dribbler into the left side of the infield and was hit by a throw on his way to first base. Runners initially advanced to second and third, before Turner was called out for interference.
Martinez, who was managing the Nationals in that game, argued the call and was ejected. The Nationals went on to win the game 7-2 and used a 6-2 Game 7 triumph a day later to claim the title.
The 2023 Nationals (26-40) own the worst record in the National League and the third-worst mark in baseball. They are 2-8 over their last 10 games and 1-8 over their last nine.
The Nationals will battle the Astros (39-29) in the series finale at 8:10 p.m. EDT Thursday in Houston.
