The series ended on an alleged strikeout by Wilmer Flores, but most would agree he pulled back. Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Giants lose on controversial Wilmer Flores check-swing call by Gabe Morales

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Larry Brown | Last updated 10/15/21

The San Francisco Giants won 107 games in the regular season and two more in the postseason, only to see their campaign end on a controversial call by the umpires. That’s rough.

The Giants lost 2-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the deciding Game 5 of their NLDS on Thursday night at Oracle Park in San Francisco. They fell behind 1-0 on an RBI double by Corey Seager in the sixth. The Giants matched them with a Darin Ruf home run in the bottom of the inning.

Then the Dodgers reclaimed the lead in the top of the ninth on an RBI single by Cody Bellinger. Next, the Dodgers went deep and brought in three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer to pitch the ninth inning.

He got a line out, then Kris Bryant reached on an error and then Scherzer struck out LaMonte Wade Jr. for the second out. The Giants had a runner on first for Wilmer Flores, who fell behind 0-2.

Flores offered at a pitch from Scherzer but appeared to pull back. It didn’t matter, as he was called out by first base umpire Gabe Morales.

The moment the @Dodgers took down their rival in Game 5 to advance to the NLCS! #Postseason pic.twitter.com/CNpp3H7Qz3

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2021

Here’s a freeze frame that shows how far around Flores went:

Welcome. To the ump show. pic.twitter.com/5NgEIziD8C

— Welcome to the Ump Show (@umpjob) October 15, 2021

And here’s a side angle of the play:

Absolutely Awful call by 1B Umpire Gabe Morales was the final out of GM 5 of a series between two teams that both won 109 games coming in and battled all season.
NOT EVEN CLOSE TO A SWING!
Games of this magnitude should never be decided by a little league umpire like Morales. pic.twitter.com/8FDTEU8Sji

— Roger Lodge (@RogerLodge7) October 15, 2021

Not only did the Giants have the best record in the regular season only to lose in the first round of the playoffs — on that call no less — but they were defeated by their rivals on that call. That makes the situation so difficult across so many levels.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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