The Cincinnati Reds celebrated a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday, but the game's outcome was overshadowed by a string of controversies involving home plate umpire Bill Miller and the automated ball-strike system.
Miller's performance was marked by a 0-for-8 record on ABS challenges, with every challenged call overturned. The Cubs ultimately won five challenges, while the Reds secured the remaining three. The first overturned call came relatively early in the game, when Miller initially ruled a pitch by Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder a ball, only to have it confirmed as a strike via ABS challenge.
Miller's night did not improve from there, with seven more calls successfully challenged before the final out. Only two of the eight disputed pitches were initially ruled strikes by Miller. The ABS challenges were split among several players, with Chicago catcher Carson Kelly and Reds star Jose Trevino each successfully challenging two calls. The remaining two reversals came from the batter's box, with Cincinnati's Sal Stewart and Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki each winning a challenge.
The Reds' catcher, Tyler Stephenson, opted not to raise any challenges on Friday, despite leading the majors with 88 successful overturns in 124 attempts. Miller has previously been at the center of ABS disputes while serving as crew chief for Reds games, including a notable incident last month in which he was involved in a collision with a Reds infielder.
The game's events were also marked by a heated exchange between Cincinnati reliever Caleb Ferguson and Miller, which was caught on hot mic by television cameras. Ferguson later apologized for his behavior, calling it "very unprofessional."
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