We all expect umpires to get it right every time, but Monday night’s Cubs-Padres game showed how messy things can still get. A simple rolling grounder turned into a huge debate over a controversial call that completely stole the show.

“Home plate umpire Dan Merzel called the ball fair, giving Matt Shaw a single despite it appearing clearly foul,” Talkin’ Baseball posted the clip of the viral moment on social media.

The Padres were leading 9-5 against the Cubs at the top of the 9th inning on April 27. Cubs prospect Matt Shaw chopped a grounder off pitcher Mason Miller toward Ty France at third base. But it wasn’t just a routine play.

Shaw’s hit bounced between home plate and third base, slowly rolling toward the foul line. France picked it up, thinking it was a foul ball. But plate umpire Dan Merzel ruled it as fair. And the fans at Petco Park erupted.

“Definitely foul, and the lame umpire was right there. Needs an eye exam,” one fan ranted on X. 

The primary camera angle from the home plate made it look like the ball was still on the chalk line. However, different angles from first and third base made it clear that the ball went beyond the line before France grabbed it.

But there are counterarguments to this incident. Some fans think that a part of the ball was still above the foul line. By MLB rules, as long as any part of the ball is touching or hovering over the chalk the exact moment the fielder touches it, it is a fair ball. The entire controversy comes down to exactly where the ball was the split-second France picked it up.

Some people are also pointing out that all the camera angles create parallax error. To judge the ball fairly, one needs to have a vertical view. And they are defending Merzel as he was standing almost on top of the ball when he made his call. 

The biggest question here is why they didn’t get a review if France was so sure of the foul ball. Under MLB replay rules, fair or foul calls on grounders in the infield are not reviewable. It is strictly a judgment call. That’s why we saw the Padres manager Craig Stammen walk inside to have a chat with the umpire and try to convince him against the decision. 

Unfortunately, he remained unsuccessful, and the call stayed. The play only angered the San Diego crowd more when Chicago capitalized, cutting the lead to 9-7. Although it remained the final score and San Diego won, it made a huge change. Mason Miller allowed his first run since August 2025. 

Because Shaw reached base on that questionable single and eventually scored, Miller’s incredible 34⅔ scoreless innings streak was officially over. And the fans had only one person to blame. Not just for ruining the historic streak, but for how absurd his call was.

Umpire’s costly call sparks online outrage

“This is some of the worst umpiring I have seen in a while. Slow-roller, and the umpires are standing right over it. A replay angle from the first base side shows it clearly in foul territory. 🤦🏽‍♂️,” wrote a fan. 

The biggest examples of wrong umpiring in MLB include ball-strike calls or safe/out calls. That’s why Tuesday’s incident feels like one of the worst. Padres fans are sure that it went beyond the foul line.

“Two umps staring at the ball, and they couldn’t get the call right?” read one comment.

Ty France grabbed the ball standing between plate umpire Dan Merzel and Shane Livensparger on third base. Both of them were standing close enough to see the ball cross over the line before he picked it up.

“Just bring in the AI robot umps already,” suggested a user. There has been a buzz about replacing the human umpires entirely. However, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized players’ input and chose to go with the hybrid system we now have in the major leagues. 

There have been many calls for firing the umpires with low accuracy, but bringing in a full AI system won’t solve the issue. Human judgment would still be required to judge fair or foul balls, tagging, collisions, etc. And not to mention the increased complexity artificial intelligence can bring into the fold.

One fan pointed out the inaccuracies from the umpire, saying, “The plate umpire missed at least 10+ calls behind the plate, worst I’ve seen all season.”

Merzel’s track record this season hasn’t helped his case. Across five games, he has missed over 30 calls. According to Umpire Scorecards, he is sitting at a 93% accuracy rate, and exactly half of his challenged calls have been successfully overturned by the new ABS system in 2026.

“Umpires keep making a good case for instant replays and more tech. He’s standing on top of the ball and still missed the call. They are going to loose their jobs soon,” one fan tweeted in frustration. 

C.B. Bucknor has had several missed calls this season. His worst was during a Reds-Red Sox game on March 29, where 6 out of his 8 calls were overturned. And also ended up ejecting AlexCora. Hunter Wendelstedt had it worse with nine of his calls overturned during an April 10 game. There was an instance from Tripp Gibson when he called a strike on a pitch that missed the zone by 4.3 inches.

The inclusion of the ABS has saved so many incorrect calls this regular season. But, at the same time, it has also pointed out huge inaccuracies from experienced umpires.

The foul ball mess in the Padres game just made things worse. Fans are completely fed up with umpire mistakes that can’t be fixed.