[Dr. Sivana]

I was rooting for the Blue Jays, but I think (unfortunately) the call was correct under the letter of the rule.

The exact wording of the lodged ball rule in Major League Baseball, according to MLB Rule 5.05(a)(7), is:

"A ball is considered lodged if, in the judgment of the umpire, the natural trajectory of the flight of the ball is interrupted long enough to affect further play. A batted ball that sticks in a fence, scoreboard, shrubbery or vines located on the playing field should be considered a lodged ball. Likewise, a ball that goes behind a field tarp or wall padding without leaving the playing field should also be considered to be lodged. The determination of whether a ball is lodged is subject to Replay Review. When a ball is ruled lodged, runners are awarded two bases from the time of pitch".​

This rule emphasizes the umpire's judgment on the interruption of the ball's natural flight and includes specifics about locations where the ball may get lodged. The ability of the fielder to retrieve the ball does not affect this decision.

[MinorityRepublican]

leaving the playing field

Never left the playing field.

[Az Joe]

There have been other situations where it was not called a lodged ball.

[dfwgator]

A batted ball that sticks in a fence, technically is playable, but the rule clearly states it is a lodged ball.

[odawg]

“...flight of the ball is interrupted long enough to affect further play.”

Just the opposite happened. The lodged ball made it easier to retrieve, since the player did not have to chase it down.

[Wayne07]

Pathetic that the author of the article thought that his job was get a bunch of X posts griping about the play, but never bothered to post the text of the rule, which is very clear. Thanks for posting it.