Adrian Gonzalez still livid over MLB replay decision: 'They got it wrong'

LOS ANGELES — The night ended with a lopsided 10-2 defeat for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but first basemen Adrian Gonzalez said a controversial instant replay that denied the Dodgers a 1-0 lead could have changed the outcome Wednesday night against the Chicago Cubs.

“Absolutely,’’ he said. “We could easily have put them in a back against the wall situation. Because of that (call), they were able to get momentum and they were able to beat us tonight.’’

With the game scoreless in the second inning, Gonzalez was ruled out at home plate while trying to score from second on Andrew Toles’ two-out single to right field. The Dodgers challenged the call and TV replays appeared to show Gonzalez was safe, but the replay official at Major League Baseball headquarters in New York upheld the call.

That left Gonzalez stewing after the game with the National League Championship Series tied two games apiece. He said he was told replay officials in New York didn’t have enough evidence to overturn the call.

“They didn’t say I was out," Gonzalez said of the ruling. “They said there wasn’t enough evidence. So they knew I was safe. They just didn’t want to overturn it….

“It’s not a trial. Evidence should not be involved. It should be whether you’re safe or out."

Gonzalez said two of the umpires on the four-man crew told him they thought he was safe based on replays shown on Dodger Stadium scoreboards.

“They both said from what we saw we thought you were safe," Gonzalez said, declining to identify the two umpires by name.

Home plate umpire Angel Hernandez was not at fault, according to Gonzalez.

“Everything is moving so fast, you cannot blame Angel," he said. “He’s going to call what he sees."

Gonzalez said he thinks the replay calls should be made by independent officials not associated with major league umpires, and that rulings should be based evidence needed to make the right call rather than evidence needed to overturn the original call.

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“They just didn’t want to overturn it because it wasn’t by enough of a gap, I guess," he said.

And what’s a big enough of a gap to overturn a call?

Gonzalez grinned.

“That’s where you guys need to call New York," he said.

But the Dodgers first basemen was happy to expound on how his being ruled safe and the Dodgers taking a 1-0 lead could have changed the outcome for the Dodgers and starting pitcher Julio Urias.

“It’s a huge moment for us," Gonzalez said. “Julio gets a run to work with, we turn the lineup over. There’s so many different things that can happen."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts concurred: "You know what? I was pretty certain that it was going to get reversed. But those guys in New York, they've got a job to do, and obviously they saw it the other way...

"To get a lead would have been big for us, and I thought we put ourselves in a position to get to (Cubs starter John Lackey). But he escaped."

Instead, the Cubs broke open the game with four runs in the fourth inning and cruised to victory, after which Gonzalez suggested the instant replay call was a turning point.

“After that we played a very sloppy game,’’ he said. “But I think the game would have been a whole different game."

For the record, Gonzalez said he hasn’t had any serious objections to the instant replay system.

“For the most part, they get it right,’’ he said. “But in a case like this, they got it wrong."

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