Giants Feel Robbed After Loss, Call for More Accountability With Replay

LOS ANGELES -- The week started with MLB umpires taking to Twitter and Facebook for some ill-advised hashtag-filled thoughts about Manny Machado. On Thursday, a clubhouse fired back.

The Giants were livid after a 9-8 loss to the Dodgers, believing they were robbed by replay officials in the ninth inning. With no outs and two on, Tyler Austin tried to bunt Stephen Vogt and Joe Panik over. First baseman Cody Bellinger alertly threw to third and Vogt was called out; replay appeared to show he was safe, and the Giants were adamant he was.

"When I slid in I beat the throw," Vogt said. "Straight into the bag. I beat the throw. I won't comment further, but I know I beat the throw."

Manager Bruce Bochy and catcher Buster Posey did not hold back, with Posey, who has become a louder voice for the player's association, saying changes need to be made. 

"There's no accountability for those guys," he said of replay officials. "Anything close, they're going to say it's inconclusive. That seems to be the trend."

Asked what he would like to see from the replay system, Posey mentioned additional explanations on close calls like that one, and added that perhaps MLB should add more cameras to the field to get better angles. He said too many calls come back as "inconclusive."

Bochy, asked first about Madison Bumgarner's struggles, pivoted and said he wants an explanation from the umpires in New York. He watched the play repeatedly on the scoreboard and came straight to the clubhouse monitors after the game to watch it again. 

"I'd like to know what they're looking at in New York," he said. "I saw it and I don't get it. I wish they could show me what they saw. He was safe."

Bochy said he generally does not get a detailed explanation of the decision.

"I'd like to get one," he said. "I'll be honest, I saw it on the scoreboard and saw it after the game. It can't be missed on replay. That one looks like it was missed. It looks like Vogt was on the bag. And you can't have a bigger call go against you."

Instead of having two runners in scoring position, down a run, the Giants still had runners at first and second. Posey and Brandon Belt lined out to end the game. Had Vogt been on third, he would have tied the game on Posey's ball to deep center. 

"The way they fought back, to get a bad break like that, that's a tough one," Bochy said. 

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