The Milwaukee Brewers started off the season with a loss after a valiant comeback attempt in the 9th inning fell short against Devin Williams and the New York Yankees. However, there was a crucial rules violation in the ninth inning that was missed by the umpires.

The Yankees are no strangers to violating the rules against the Brewers. Last season, Aaron Judge shot his hand up on a slide into second base to disrupt a double play turn by the Brewers, interfering with the play after already being out. The umpires didn’t call interference on the field. After the game, however, they admitted to getting the call wrong and they should’ve called interference. That missed call led to a Brewers loss.

On Opening Day this year, another missed call on a Yankees blatant rule violation led to a Yankees win and Brewers loss.

Trent Grisham breaks the rules in Brewers 9th inning rally

With the leadoff man on in Joey Ortiz, left fielder Isaac Collins, who entered the game as a pinch hitter for Garrett Mitchell in the 6th, crushed a ball into the gap in right-center.

As centerfielder Trent Grisham tracked it down, he intentionally removed his hat with his left hand and brought it out to the side to knock down the ball and prevent it from getting past him.

Collins ended up with a double on the play and runners were on second and third. By rule, Collins should have been awarded third base and a triple, which would have scored Ortiz.

According to rule 5.06(b)(4)(B), “each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance three bases, if a fielder deliberately touches a fair ball with his cap, mask or any part of his uniform detached from its proper place on his person. The ball is in play and the batter may advance to home base at his peril;”

The umpires clearly couldn’t see that Grisham deliberately removed his cap and used it to help knock down the baseball. The Brewers dugout couldn’t clearly see it either because they did not challenge or talk to the umpires about such a rules violation. It costs Collins and RBI and changes the outlook of the inning.

Ortiz did end up scoring a few batters later on a Brice Turang sac fly, but would Jake Bauers at bat have gone differently knowing a run was already in and making it a one run game was just 90 feet away? How different could Turang’s or Chourio’s or Yelich’s at bats have gone if that extra base was given?

Plus there’s the mental aspect of the umpires awarding that extra base and the controversy, in New York at least, that it would have caused. Would Devin Williams have been a little rattled by that call, opening the door a little more? It’s possible, Williams was already not as sharp as he usually is.

While the Brewers ended up two runs short and that one extra base by itself wouldn’t change the outcome, it would’ve changed the approach on those next at bats. Who knows what could’ve happened then.

It’s just another example of the Yankees breaking the rules to beat the Brewers and getting away with it.