Thursday’s Dodgers-White Sox game featured a pair of noteworthy broadcasting incidents.
First, both sets of broadcasters were stunned by a missed third strike call. Later, White Sox manager Tony La Russa’s decision to intentionally walk Trea Turner on a 1-2 count drew disbelief from White Sox announcers Jason Benetti and Steve Stone.
Fans tuning into the replay of the game on NBC Sports Chicago on Friday looking to relive either moment were in for disappointment, however.
*Both* of the incidents were cut for time in the replay.
Kevin Kaduk of CHGO Sports noted the omission of the intentional walk sequence, including everything that happened in the top of the sixth prior to the intentional walk (and Max Muncy’s home run that followed it).
It went straight from the end of the fifth with the Sox down 6-5 to two outs in the top of the sixth with them trailing 10-5. They cut the most important part of the game!
— Kevin Kaduk (@KevinKaduk) June 10, 2022
Viewing the replay of the game, we also confirmed that the missed call incident in the second inning was cut. However, both halves of the scoreless second also fell by the wayside, so it was less glaring.
I get it. The game yesterday went 4:13, and aired in a three-hour window on Friday. Some parts had to be cut. But the top of the sixth inning was a pivotal part of the game – the Dodgers scored four runs to put the game completely out of reach. The cut is even more glaring when you realize that the entire top of the sixth wasn’t cut – the broadcast came back for Reynaldo Lopez’s inning ending strikeout of Will Smith!
I’m not going to sit here and claim that NBC Sports Chicago was trying to protect La Russa or the team, but it sure was weird for them to cut out that significant part of the game.
