A tag that was and a force play that wasn't cost the A's a run on Thursday, and there was nothing they could do about it.
The Athletics and Blue Jays played a game of woulda, coulda, shoulda in the second inning on Thursday night in Oakland, thanks to an overturned call via instant replay. The Athletics are playing the game under protest as a result.
Toronto had the bases loaded with one out in the second inning of a scoreless game, when Anthony Gose grounded to Nate Freiman at first base. Freiman swiped a tag at runner Munenori Kawasaki, who was on his way to second base, but first base umpire Vic Carapazza said there was no tag.
Freiman threw home immediately after the tag to apparently get Edwin Encarnacion on a force play.
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons challenged the play, arguing that his own player Kawasaki was tagged and was actually out. Upon instant replay, the umpires agreed, and Kawasaki was ruled out. But that removed the force play at the plate, and since catcher Stephen Vogt didn't tag Encarnacion — even though Vogt had more than enough time to do so (he just didn't think he had to) — the Blue Jays were awarded a run, and a 1-0 lead.
A's manager Bob Melvin immediately informed the umpires he was playing the game under protest, though these things are rarely upheld. The last successful protest in baseball came in 1986.
Oakland did just about everything right on the play, based on the information the players had at the time.
Chalk it up to life isn't fair.