Mike Matheny blasts umpires after close home plate call costs Royals game against White Sox

Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny was livid at the umpires following a close call at home plate that gave the Chicago White Sox the walk-off win on Sunday.

Another day, another instance where an MLB manager gets ticked off by the league’s replay review system. This time, that skipper is Mike Matheny of the Kansas City Royals.

On Sunday, the Royals were looking to hold off a potential walk-off from the rival Chicago White Sox in the bottom of the ninth inning. But with a man on first and third with two outs, Royals reliever Wade Davis threw a wild pitch that allowed White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu to run home. Catcher Cam Gallagher retrieved the ball and dove at home to tag Abreu, whom was called safe.

After replay review, the umpires determined that touched the bag before the tag, giving the White Sox the walk-off victory. Matheny was not pleased after the game, as he blasted the umpires to open up his Zoom call with reporters, saying that “there needs to be some accountability.”

On top of that, Matheny says that he saw Gallagher tag Abreu’s jersey before he touched home plate on two replay angles.

Royals: Mike Matheny blasts umpires following close call at home vs. White Sox

Matheny was not the only one who expressed their belief that Abreu was out at home. Gallagher said after the game, via Harold R. Kuntz of Fox 4 Kansas City, he knew he tagged the White Sox first baseman on the leg and thought he was out.

Entering the bottom of the seventh inning with a 2-1 deficit, the Royals took a 3-2 lead following an RBI single by second baseman Whit Merrifield and a sacrifice fly from first baseman Carlos Santana. However, Davis was unable to close out the game for Kansas City in the bottom of the ninth, as he surrendered an RBI single by White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada and the aforementioned wild pitch that led to the close slide home by Abreu.

Now at 18-22 on the year, the Royals will look to get back in the win column on Tuesday when they face the Milwaukee Brewers. As for the White Sox, they now pivot to another rival on Monday, when they face the Minnesota Twins.