HOUSTON _ The defending world champion Astros found themselves on the brink of elimination from the postseason entering Thursday night.
Although it's important to point out that the Astros didn't enunciate this, to the vast majority of Houston fans, there was one person responsible for that: Joe West, the right-field umpire for Game 4 of the American League Championship Series who called spectator interference on what would have been a two-run homer by Jose Altuve in the first inning of the Astros' 8-6 loss.
Plenty of the fans' ire, as well as plenty of the Houston media's, also was directed at the replay umpire in New York. He didn't think there was conclusive evidence to overturn the call of West, who is second all-time in games umpired and last season became just the third ump in MLB history to reach the 5,000-game plateau. Only Bill Klem, who retired in 1941, officiated more games.
"There's nothing more that you can do," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said before Game 5. "From a functional standpoint inside this clubhouse, we've had to move long past that."
In the early morning hours after Game 4, Hinch clearly thought Altuve deserved the home run, but said "that's not the difference" in why his club lost.
"There's no mechanism for me to change their mind, change their interpretation, change the fact that I thought the ball was a row or two into the stands," Hinch said. "It doesn't matter what I think. I'm not in New York, and I'm not an umpire."
After George Springer's one-out single in the first, the right-handed-hitting Altuve slapped one to right. Mookie Betts charged toward the wall and seemed to time his jump perfectly as the ball began to clear the wall. Betts' glove connected with a fan and closed, and the ball smacked off it and back onto the field. West immediately called fan interference. Instead of the score being tied at 2, Altuve was ruled out.
At dispute was this part of Rule 6.01 under Spectator Interference: "No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator's interference."
West told a pool reporter that in his estimation the fan was on the playing field side.
"He hit the ball to right field. He jumped up to try to make a catch," West said. "The fan interfered with him over the playing field. That's why I called spectator interference."
Asked if it was a "clear" call, West said, "Yes," adding later that "the replay official said I was right."
Technically, the last part isn't true, because replay umpire James Hoye came back with "stands" instead of "confirmed," which would have meant a replay showed West to be definitively correct.
Regardless, the one camera, located in right field, that might have given a conclusive look was obscured by a poorly placed security guard, who blocked that camera's view of the play.
Hinch was asked Thursday if he would like to see all ballparks have a divider between fans and the wall, which in theory would prevent them from being able to reach into the field of play.
"Yeah, if you don't have perfect camera angles, I think we have to do something," Hinch said. "But it's (a divider) easier that way, I think. But I think that might be a little more reactionary than proactive. I'm sure the fans love being in that front row. I'm sure those are valuable seats. But, yeah, I guess being fresh off last night, I'd like to see something different than I saw last night."
