Giants' Gabe Kapler: 'No Reason to Be Angry' Over Controversial Ending vs. Dodgers

San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler said he won't dwell on the controversial check-swing call that went against first baseman Wilmer Flores for the final out of the team's season in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers on Thursday night.

"That's going to be the thing that is talked about quite a bit, and I understand why," Kapler told reporters after Game 5 of the National League Division Series. "I just don't know how much sense it makes to, for us, on our side, to pick that apart. I don't know how much, how helpful it's going to be."

He added: "There's no reason to be angry; it's just a disappointing way to end it. But there are other reasons we lost that game."

Slow-motion replays appeared to show Flores was able to check his swing and the Max Scherzer pitch should have been called a ball.

Gabe Morales, the first base umpire who made the game-ending call, spoke with a pool reporter about the critical call.

"Check-swings are one of the hardest calls we have. I don't have the benefit of multiple camera angles when I'm watching it live,” he said. “When it happened live I thought he went, so that's why I called it a swing."

Morales confirmed he watched a replay following the game, but neither he nor crew chief Ted Barrett provided a definitive statement about whether the wrong call was made.

Check-swing calls are not reviewable under MLB rules.

Kapler is right to point out that the singular call didn't cause the loss. The Giants generated just six hits off the six pitchers who took the mound for the Dodgers, and San Francisco couldn't capitalize when it did have an offensive opportunity, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.

As well, four Giants players who played an important role during the regular season posted an OPS under .500 in the NLDS: Darin Ruf (.455), Evan Longoria (.412), LaMonte Wade Jr. (.282) and Flores (.237).

Despite the missed opportunities throughout the series, though, losing on a check-swing call is a sour way to end a memorable season for the NL West club.

San Francisco entered the year with minimal outside expectations—ZiPS projected the team for just 75 wins—but it emerged to post the best record in MLB at 107-55.

The fact that the Giants had to face the 106-win Dodgers in the Division Series based on the league's playoff format is another factor that may get looked at during the offseason.

It was a successful year for the club, but it may take a while for the frustration from its playoff elimination to wear off, especially given the way Game 5 ended.