Umpire's excuse for awful obstruction call and Dave Roberts ejection solves nothing

The Los Angeles Dodgers were introduced to the Ump Show on Wednesday night.

During the sixth inning of their game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Dodgers shortstop Miguel Rojas tagged out Alec Bohm on third base after a throw from Kike Hernandez, who was fielding a bunt from Brandon Marsh. But third base umpire Hunter Wendelstedt deemed that Bohm was safe due to obstruction. Manager Dave Roberts was livid about the call and was ejected by Wendelstedt.

That decision opened up the floodgates, as the Phillies scored five runs and took a 8-4 lead. The Dodgers lost 9-4 and ultimately lost their series to the Phillies.

For Dodgers fans who were looking for answers about the decision, crew chief Marvin Hudson doubled down on Wendelstedt's decision.

"He was in front of the bag without the ball,” said Hudson, h/t Juan Toribio of MLB.com. "And that’s the new obstruction rule. Plus, he was running in front of him to third. He was in front of third without the ball, so he obstructed the runner. The runner didn’t have a lane to get to the bag."

Crew chief doubles down on controversial obstruction call that cost Dodgers

Hudson says that the reason for the call was due to Rojas being in front of Bohm without the baseball, and that he was running in front of him on their way to third base. When looking at the clip, it was borderline that Rojas was running completely in front of Bohm.

MLB provided more details on the existing rule on the obstruction of a runner's paths entering the season. They are as follows, h/t MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince:

"Existing Rule 6.00(h) awards the base to the runner when the fielder is ruled to have impeded the runner’s progress while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball. The rule leaves it up to the judgment of the umpire as to whether a fielder is in the act of fielding the ball."

Rojas did express confusion regarding the ruling from Wendelstedt, asking where he was supposed to go in an effort to tag out Bohm.

"I’m aware of the rule. I’m not trying to block the bag,” Rojas said, h/t Toribio of MLB.com. “I’m not trying to [get] anybody hurt. I’m not trying to hurt the other player, or be in the way, just because I think that’s my only way to get him out. I’m just trying to make a tag. And if you see the replay, he definitely hit my foot, but my foot is kind of like on the other side of the bag.”

The decision did prove to be costly, no matter where you stand on the matter. Bohm scored on a groundout by J.T. Realmuto to tie the game. Then, Marsh scored on a wild pitch and Kyle Schwarber hit a three-run homer. Five runs immediately after the call from Wendelstedt.

MLB tried to provide clarity on the obstruction rule, and as evidenced on Wednesday in Los Angeles, it only added more confusion.