Umpires botch call on Soto's inside-the-park homer
HOUSTON—Another night, another botched home run call by an umpire. This time it didn't cost the team any runs as Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto got an inside-the-park home run in the fourth inning Monday night against the Houston Astros.
Soto's three-run shot bounced just to the right of the yellow line on the wall in left-center field and replays showed it should have been an automatic home run. Astros center fielder Michael Bourn scooped it up and threw it home, but Soto scored easily before the throw got there.
New York Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado was robbed of a three-run homer Sunday night. Delgado's ball was originally ruled a home run but the call was reversed, turning it into a long foul ball. The replay of that play showed it should have been a home run.
Delgado ended up with an RBI single.
It was the first inside-the-park home run for a catcher since Joe Mauer of the Twins hit one against the Angels on July 21 according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The last National League catcher to achieve the feat was Kelly Stinnett for Arizona on Aug. 29, 2005.
It's the first one for the Cubs since Derrek Lee hit one on Aug. 26 and the third in Minute Maid Park history.
