Joe Torre Says Umpires Missed Passed Ball Call in Nationals-Cubs NLDS Game 5

Two weeks after the Washington Nationals were eliminated from the playoffs, MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre admitted umpires missed a key call in the decisive Game 5.

The play in question came in the fifth inning when Chicago Cubs second baseman Javier Baez advanced after a dropped strike three. However, the play apparently should have been ruled dead after the bat hit catcher Matt Weiters.

"The rule states that when contact is made—in other words, when the bat came around and hit the catcher's mask—it's a dead ball," Torre said on Sirius XM Radio Thursday, via Eddie Matz of ESPN. "It's a dead ball. And that's the one thing that should have taken precedence."

Torre explained that crew chief Jerry Layne thought the fact the ball was already past Weiters meant Baez was free to advance, but that was incorrect. Nationals manager Dusty Baker had the opportunity to review the play as part of a "rules check."

The Cubs were leading 5-4 at the time of the play, but Addison Russell scored as a result of the passed ball. A hit by pitch with the bases loaded extended the lead to 7-4 before the inning finally ended.

Chicago survived with a 9-8 win and advanced to the National League Championship Series, while the Nationals lost in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth time in the last six years. Three of those series went to Game 5, and the franchise has not won a postseason series since moving to Washington.

Baker was also dismissed as manager after two seasons with the team.