In DC, with none out and runners on first and second baes, Mets batter Winker hit a line drive to Nats first baseman Lowe, who may or may not have fielded the batted ball on a bounce—New York wouldn't know, because none of the four umpires signaled safe or out for the catch / no catch element of this play.
While the Mets stumbled around in confusion after the no-call, Washington turned a triple play with first baseman Lowe ruled to have caught the batted ball for out number one, runner R2 Brandon Nimmo out at second base on appeal for out number two, and R1 Mark Vientos out at first base for out number three.
Umpire positioning led to a coverage vacuum contributing to the catch/no catch chaos, as 2B Umpire Lance Barrett's starting position outside the fielders with runners on base ran afoul of the MLB Umpire Manual's approved teaching for four-person positioning with runner(s).
This isn't just a problem unique to this game, it's systemic in recent MLB memory, as second base umpires have increasingly opted to work outside even with runners, despite the Manual's instruction and assumption that all second base umpires will work inside (at the cut of the infield grass) with runner(s) on base.
The MLBUM coverage responsibilities chart states that the second base umpire has catch/no catch responsibility for a first baseman ranging to their right on an infield line drive, but when U2 is working outside, they lose their advantageous angle to see the play. With the play going away from U1, this was not 1B Umpire Alfonso Marquez's call to make, so, effectively, no one clearly called in real time a line out, and the resulting confusion led to a Nationals' triple play.
So as we initially opined back when umpires began working outside with runner(s), the starting position of U2 outside is problematic for certain plays with runners on base. This is just the latest example of what happens when U2 starts out with runners instead of playing in.
Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Critical flaw in bad positioning contrary to prior mechanics led to confusing play
