Right there at Truist Park, another chapter was added to the book of questionable umpiring this season…

As is, the Atlanta Braves had little room for mistakes against the New York Mets after dropping the series in the Bronx. And even before they could settle in on Monday, the nightmare started in the very first inning when a bizarre sequence involving the ball getting lodged under the outfield padding unfolded. Bryce Elder probably thought he had found a way out of the inning, but if only he knew.

“The umpire missed Bryce Elder’s ABS challenge request,” Foul Territory captioned the 6-second clip they uploaded on X. “The Mets went on to score five more runs in the inning on what otherwise would have been a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play.”

The All-Star right-hander entered the mound on Monday with an 8-6 record and a 3.69 ERA. A.J. Ewing hit his fourth pitch of the inning, and it got under the padded wall in right field. It was initially declared a ground rule double before the umpires called it a double. A couple of pitches later, Francisco Lindor grounded out to second, then Bo Bichette’s single helped Ewing score from third. Carson Benge walked in with the score reading 1-0. 

On a full count, Benge struck out, and Bichette was caught stealing second. Or at least, that’s how it should have been, but Cory Blaser from behind the plate declared it the fourth ball. That means Benge walked and nullified Bichette’s out as he automatically advanced to second. This was hardly the end. Jared Young singled, as both Benge and Bichette advanced. Elder was able to strike out Marcus Semien, but then came Brett Baty with the bases loaded. And he ended up recording the first grand slam of his career, and the Mets went 5-0 in the first inning. 

The 27-year-old managed to retire the final batter, but not before the entire lineup of New York had their at-bats. It should have gone very differently. Replay showed that the pitch to Benge on a full count was actually a strike, and Elder even tapped his cap to signal for an ABS Challenge. But the umpire missed it. 

Crew chief Andy Fletcher later told the reporters that they failed to notice because they were more focused on Bichette stealing second. They were also trying to notice if there was any interference. Even the catcher missed the pitcher tapping his cap, and he said that he felt bad for Bryce Elder.

“I didn’t see Bryce signaling in the moment,” Sean Murphy said. “But I should have challenged. In the moment, I didn’t think it was a strike.”

The Braves starter admitted it was disheartening, but he refused to use it as an excuse for his costly outing. 

“I think if I would have really stood my ground and tapped my hat longer, then maybe he would have seen me,” Elder said. “But I didn’t. So, we’ve got to make better pitches.”

Atlanta tried a comeback, but they ultimately fell short. 

Beyond the missed call: Braves’ recent slide raises concerns

They dropped the game 8-5 to the Mets, and this was their third defeat in 4 games. Earlier, they had lost 2 games against the New York Yankees. Although they are still atop the NL East with a 71-48 record, the way they gave up their eight-game winning streak doesn’t look good, especially after dropping two games against the Pinstripes, who have been struggling offensively for the last couple of months.

Meanwhile, Atlanta is third in MLB. They are comfortably en route to the playoffs, and this is certainly not a season-ending slide for them. But the nature of the setback is definitely frustrating, particularly given how they failed to overcome the deficit.

It is probably more frustrating for Bryce Elder. He now has an 8-7 record with a 4.03 ERA. The starter allowed 10 hits, 7 earned runs, and 3 walks while managing 4 strikeouts over 5.0 innings. This was his second-worst outing since the Milwaukee Brewers game in June. 

The Braves have 5 more games in this homestand, and the fans hope to see a better version of the team. Meanwhile, Elder will prepare for a better start in his next outing.