ABS overturns 6 C.B. Bucknor calls in Red Sox vs. Reds game

Home plate umpire C. B. Bucknor didn’t have his best showing in a game that saw the Cincinnati Reds defeat the Boston Red Sox 6-5 after 11 innings on Saturday, March 28.

Bucknor, 63, has served as an umpire in the major leagues since 1996. He is one of the two longest-tenured active umpires, along with Phil Cuzzi, who has been active since 1991. Despite Bucknor’s years of experience, he had six calls overturned as a result of MLB’s new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system .

Among the overturned calls were a pair of back-to-back pitches to Eugenio Suárez in the sixth inning. There were eight total challenges made during the game, five by Cincinnati and three by Boston. All five of the Reds’ challenges were successful.

The Red Sox had just one of their three challenge attempts go in their favor. That meant tensions were high when Bucknor called Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story out on a check swing strike three in the eighth inning with two outs. Alex Cora was ejected by CB Bucknor for arguing this check swing call on Trevor Story Bucknor did not appeal to the first base umpire on the check swing, and he has already had several calls overturned on ABS challenges in today's game pic.