MLB referee CB Bucknor ridiculed for bad call

MLB umpire CB Bucknor drew scrutiny and laughter Tuesday night when he made a bizarre call while manning the first base line during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays.

The oddity took place in the bottom of the sixth inning with Brewers batter Jake Bauers at the plate facing Rays pitcher Cole Sulser. Bauers lined a liner to Rays second baseman Ben Williamson, who brought the ball down but his hurried throw to first base went wide.

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It was a remarkably routine play by baseball standards. But Bucknor ruled that Bauers did not touch first base and when he was tagged, he was out. Replay showed Bauers clearly touched the first base bag with Bucknor just a few feet away from the play.

The call was canceled instantly.

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Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

Bauers was seen smiling as he returned to first base as was Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Rays manager Kevin Cash also couldn’t help but smile at the situation.

Former New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain also weighed in.

“This is so bad you have to laugh! Something has to be done,” he wrote on X.

Milwaukee ended up winning the game, 6-2. Bauers was 2-for-4 with an RBI. He hit a home run off Yoendrys Gómez in the eighth inning to extend the lead.

Milwaukee Brewers’ Gary Sanchez hits a solo home run during the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

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Gary Sánchez also hit a home run in the game.

Milwaukee improved to 4-1 with the win. Tampa Bay fell to 2-3.