Jurickson Profar had a grotesque reaction to a check swing call in Game 3. Here’s what he had to say after the game.
San Diego Padres shortstop Jurickson Profar thought he checked his swing in the top of the ninth with the count loaded. Instead, the third-base umpire called it a swing.
As a result, Profar, who vehemently disagreed with the call threw his helmet down and shouted at the umpire who made the call. He then kicked his helmet and was subsequently ejected from the game. You can see a full video of the incident here.
The Padres would end up losing 4-2, failing to score in the ninth inning, but Profar getting on base could have tilted the scales just a bit more toward the Padres, getting them a chance at a win. It was a significant moment, and the umpire’s call was huge.
Here’s what Jurickson Profar had to say about the incident after the game, speaking to 97.3 The Fan and the rest of the media.
Everything Jurickson Profar had to say about check swing called a strike in Game 3 against Phillies
Profar maintained his opinion after the game that the call was a bad one: “I thought it was pretty bad. I thought I didn’t go and it should’ve been a walk.”
When asked about the incident and the context of the situation, Profar explained how the high stakes contributed to the emotion: “Yes, you know, and Grish [Trent Grisham] coming up with two guys on base, you know, he can bunt, you know, he’s been one of the hottest hitter[s] in the postseason, too. But yeah, we, I guess we just gotta hit better and come back tomorrow and try to win.”
Profar doubled down saying the Padres failed to do much of note on the offensive side: “We didn’t hit like we supposed to do today, but hopefully we get it together and come back and hit better tomorrow.”
When asked if he saw the replay and if it changed his mind, he said he didn’t get a good look at it. Then, he doubled down saying he didn’t swing: “I didn’t have a really good chance to see it. But I’m pretty sure I didn’t go. You know, and maybe the bat was in front. But, but I was just getting out of the way, you know. I didn’t go. I didn’t swing.”
One reporter asked if he made a bad choice to react the way he did since it got him thrown out of the game. Profar’s perspective is that he was out already, so it doesn’t matter: “I was out already, you know. Yeah we could have tied it up. Two guys hit behind me. I wouldn’t, if I didn’t do anything I would have been out already.”
Profar doesn’t think he’s going to get suspended. When one reporter asked if he was concerned about that possibility, he said: “No chance man. MLB doesn’t suspend people for that. And we play a game and we play with emotion. We don’t play soft, we play to win and I play with emotion, you know?”
Asked if he would have done it again: “No. In that moment I did it. I learn from it.”