The Cincinnati Reds’ clubhouse was in a celebratory mood after a 10-8 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
The Cubs, however, had little to celebrate after their bullpen struggled to contain Cincinnati’s late-inning surge.
Much of the postgame conversation centered on home plate umpire Bill Miller and a game he will likely want to forget. Miller went 0-for-8 on automated ball-strike system challenges, with every challenged call overturned. The Cubs won five challenges, while the Reds won the remaining three.
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The game’s first overturned call came relatively early in the matinée, when Miller initially ruled Reds pitcher Rhett Lowder’s fastball a ball. A successful ABS challenge confirmed that the pitch landed within the edge of the strike zone.
Umpire Bill Miller stands on the field during the game between the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals at Truist Park on July 30, 2026, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
Miller’s night did not improve from there. Seven more calls were successfully challenged before the final out, with only two of the eight disputed pitches initially ruled strikes.
Four pitches were challenged by Chicago catcher Carson Kelly, while Reds star Jose Trevino successfully challenged two. The remaining two reversals came from the batter’s box, with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart and Chicago outfielder Seiya Suzuki each winning a challenge.
Chicago Cubs right fielder Seiya Suzuki hits a double against the Cincinnati Reds in the eighth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 28, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson opted against raising any challenges on Friday, despite leading the majors with 88 successful overturns in 124 attempts.
Miller has previously been at the center of ABS disputes while serving as crew chief for Reds games.
During a Cincinnati game last month, Reds infielder Edwin Arroyo collided with Miller while attempting to field a ground ball in the seventh inning. The collision was at least partially blamed for preventing the Reds from recording the third out and allowing the inning to continue.
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Television cameras then picked up a hot-mic moment from Cincinnati reliever Caleb Ferguson, who directed an expletive-laced tirade at Miller over the umpire’s involvement in the play. Ferguson later apologized.
“It’s just a very unprofessional thing on my part,” Ferguson told reporters. “I know these things happen in the game, but I don’t like that I was kind of the centerpiece of what was going on.”
Cincinnati Reds left fielder TJ Friedl hits a home run against the Chicago Cubs in the ninth inning at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on Aug. 28, 2026. (David Banks/Imagn Images)
According to data compiled by TapToChallenge.com, which tracks the automated ball-strike system, Miller’s 0-for-8 showing Friday in Chicago appears to be the worst by an umpire since MLB introduced the challenge system at the start of the 2026 season.
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Miller’s 70 overturned calls rank ninth among MLB umpires. Hunter Wendelstedt leads the league, followed by Dan Iassogna, Malachi Moore, Lance Barrett and Manny Gonzalez.
