MILWAUKEE -- Umpire C.B. Bucknor's tough start to the season continues.
Bucknor was working as the first-base umpire for the Milwaukee Brewers' 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday when he made a call that was so obviously incorrect from the replay that it had both managers smiling.
Milwaukee was leading 4-2 in the sixth inning when Jake Bauers hit an infield single. Bauers initially was called out because Bucknor determined he hadn't touched first base. The replay showed Bauers clearly touching the top of the bag, right across the middle.
After replay overturned Bucknor's call, Bauers went on to steal second and score on Brandon Lockridge's double later in the inning.
"I don't know what happened," said Bauers, who passed up repeated opportunities to comment further on the missed call during his postgame interview with reporters. "I'm just thankful to get on base and thankful to come around and score."
This call came after Bucknor had the poorest results among umpires in Major League Baseball's new automated ball-strike system last weekend. Six of eight challenges of his calls were successful during the Cincinnati Reds' 6-5, 11-inning win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
All six overturned calls involved strikes being changed to balls. The two confirmed calls involved a ball and a strike.
Brewers manager Pat Murphy brushed aside questions about the call during his postgame news conference.
"I'm not going to criticize that," Murphy said.
Television cameras showed Murphy and Rays manager Kevin Cash smiling after the replay showed how apparent it was that Bauers had touched first base. Murphy was asked about those reactions.
"Kevin and I are friends," Murphy said. "We hadn't had a chance to talk to each other before the game, so we just smiled back at each other."
Bauers was asked if he was grateful that MLB has a replay system in place.
"Yeah, grateful for that," he replied with a laugh.
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