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MLB upholds Alonso’s homer foul after Replay review

8/21/2026

Summary

Alonso Demands Tech

The Replay Command Center ruled Pete Alonso’s potential go-ahead homer foul, prompting Orioles manager Craig Albernaz to object.
MLB said no camera angle definitively showed the ball fair over the pole.
Albernaz cited dugout iPad ball-tracking data indicating the ball was fair.
Pete Alonso suggested installing pylon-camera or laser technology similar to football’s goal-line system.
Pitcher Chris Bassitt said cost is the only obstacle to adopting such technology.

Summary

Yankees Extend Lead

The Yankees beat the Orioles 5–3, earning a third straight win and staying near the AL wild-card lead.
The Yankees now lead the AL East by nine games over the Rays, tightening the division race.
Baltimore fell to 61–66, fifth in the AL East and 1.5 games behind the wild-card cutoff.
FanGraphs rates the Orioles’ postseason odds at 15.8 percent after the loss.

History

Historical Context

In 2014 MLB expanded instant-replay, letting managers challenge calls and prompting teams to install video replay rooms; that year also saw the last of 15 games partially replayed after protests. Today Orioles manager Craig Albernaz disputes Pete Alonso’s foul ball using iPad data, echoing the league’s earlier push for clearer, technology-driven officiating.

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Alonso Demands Tech

The Replay Command Center ruled Pete Alonso’s potential go-ahead homer foul, prompting Orioles manager Craig Albernaz to object.
MLB said no camera angle definitively showed the ball fair over the pole.
Albernaz cited dugout iPad ball-tracking data indicating the ball was fair.
Pete Alonso suggested installing pylon-camera or laser technology similar to football’s goal-line system.
Pitcher Chris Bassitt said cost is the only obstacle to adopting such technology.

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