On the eve of the regular season finale, Mike Muchlinski was standing squarely in the crossfire zone of choppers and line drives. He was the second-base umpire in the Boston Red Sox-Chicago Cubs matchup. It was an especially difficult workday for Muchlinski as his athleticism was put to the test. Unable to get out of the way, the umpire went down after taking a chopper to the chest.
The Boston Red Sox swept the Cubs during Friday’s doubleheader. Muchlinski suffered the blow to his chest in the top of the fifth of Game 2. With the score tied at zero, Jedixson Paez relieved Bryan Bello after he allowed a leadoff single to Nick Hoerner. Paez retired the next two hitters, with Miles Shaw coming up next. Shaw chopped the first pitch he faced up the middle, straight towards Muchlinski. The umpire was unable to get out of the way, and the ball struck him. The impact sent him crashing to the ground. Jomboy Media posted the sequence of incidents on X.
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“Umpire down after taking a chopper to the heart,” the X handle wrote in the caption.
However, Muchlinski appeared fine after the hit, as he immediately stood back up. The second-base ump was back to work the very next moment.
While Muchlinski escaped unscathed, other umpires are not always so lucky, especially when officiating behind home plate. Even Muchlinski himself had faced graver consequences.
In 2022, Muchlinski was at home plate officiating a game between the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros at Yankee Stadium. Houston’s Michael Brantley sent the second pitch of the game flying back to the umpire. The foul tip caught Muchlinski’s face mask, and he staggered. Catcher Jose Trevino helped him keep his balance. He had initially remained in the game after consulting a trainer and the umpiring crew. But ultimately exited in the third inning.
On September 1, home plate umpire Will Little was forced to exit a Red Sox-Seattle Mariners game after he took a foul tip to his chin. The blow knocked off his throat guard, leaving the umpire dazed as a Red Sox trainer checked him. The umpire exited after the final out of the inning.
Meanwhile, Shaw recorded a single on the hit, and Hoerner advanced to third. But the Cubs failed to capitalize as Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to end the inning.
The second game of the doubleheader was a pitcher’s duel. Red Sox’s Jedixson Paez and the Cubs’ Javier Assad kept the game scoreless until the bottom of the eighth. The Cubs pulled Assad after he issued a late-inning walk to Isiah Kiner-Falefa and retired catcher Connor Wong.
Relieving Assad, Ryan Rolison took the mound and promptly walked Jahmai Jones. With runners on first and second, Wilyer Abreu came to bat next and doubled, scoring Jones and Kiner-Falefa. Abreu gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. At the top of the ninth, Paez quickly worked through the rest of the Cubs lineup, securing the game for the Red Sox.
The Red Sox officially clinched the number five playoff seed during Game 1 of the doubleheader. With the score tied at 3, Wong hit the go-ahead run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh. The RBI double ensured the Red Sox are officially eligible to play the Wild Card Series. Boston is scheduled to play the first of their playoff games on September 29, against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium.
Meanwhile, the MLB has announced a new venue for the season finale between the Red Sox and the Cubs.
MLB change game venue for season finale
A major nor’easter is scheduled to bring heavy rain, wind, and potential flooding in Boston during the weekend. The forecast has forced the league to take some drastic measures. The MLB announced a venue change for the season finale between the Cubs and the Red Sox.
Originally scheduled for 7:15 PM Saturday at Fenway Park, the game is now postponed to 3:05 PM Sunday at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The move was announced before the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. The Red Sox released a statement about the update on X.
“The change was made in continued consultation with the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago Cubs due to the unchanged forecast of a major nor’easter expected to bring heavy rain, high winds, and potential flooding to the region during the weekend. Tickets purchased directly from the Red Sox will be automatically refunded back to the original payment. The ticket will hold no cash value. Refunds will be completed within 7 days,” read the statement.
To accommodate the schedule change, the league shifted Saturday’s game to Friday and made it a doubleheader. The players left for Florida soon after Game 2 ended. The Red Sox will aim to sweep the Cubs during the final game of the season.
Fans can tune in on WEEI 93.7 FM for English broadcast and on WESX 1230 AM/WCCM 1490 AM for Spanish. NESN will televise the game.