Naylor Interference Call Erases Mariners' Game 7 Lead

In Game 7 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre, Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor hit an RBI single to drive in Julio Rodríguez and give Seattle a 1-0 lead. On the same play, Blue Jays third baseman Ernie Clement’s throw to second struck Naylor in the back of the helmet as he approached the bag. After an initial safe call, the six umpires conferred and ruled Naylor had interfered by leaving his feet and turning into the throw, calling both runners out under the interference rule and ending the inning. The call erased Seattle’s early scoring opportunity and was followed in the bottom of the inning by a Toronto run that tied the game. The ruling prompted heated on-field reactions, brief protests from managers, and widespread social-media and photographic coverage of the unusual play.