The Cincinnati Reds celebrated a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday at Wrigley Field. The Cubs, however, had little to celebrate, as their bullpen struggled to contain Cincinnati’s late-inning surge.
The focus of postgame discussion centered on home plate umpire Bill Miller, who went 0-for-8 on challenges using the automated ball-strike system. Every challenged call was overturned, including the game’s first overturned call when Miller initially ruled a pitch a ball. A successful review confirmed the pitch was within the strike zone.
Miller’s night did not improve, as seven more calls were successfully challenged before the game ended. Only two of the eight disputed pitches were initially ruled strikes. The challenges came from both catchers and batters, with Chicago catcher Carson Kelly and Reds star Jose Trevino each successfully challenging two calls. Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart and Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki also won challenges.
Despite being a leader in successful challenges, Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson chose not to challenge any calls Friday. Miller has previously been involved in ABS disputes, including a collision with Reds infielder Edwin Arroyo during a game last month, which was partially blamed for a missed out.
Television cameras captured reliever Caleb Ferguson directing profanity at Miller over the umpire’s involvement in the game, prompting Ferguson to later apologize. According to data from TapToChallenge.com, Miller’s 0-for-8 performance is considered the worst by an umpire since MLB adopted the challenge system at the start of the 2026 season. His 70 overturned calls rank ninth among MLB umpires, with Hunter Wendelstedt leading the league.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
