San Diego Padres at Oakland Athletics

The San Diego Padres edged out the Oakland Athletics 13-9 in a high-scoring affair at Hohokam Stadium, where the AiBS review system played a pivotal role in clarifying several key umpire decisions. With a total of 8 challenges issued, 5 were overturned — a rate that reflects a solid level of review accuracy, especially as the plate umpire’s calls were reversed on more than half of the opportunities. This balance of confirmed and overturned calls illustrates how technology increasingly refines the human element without undermining it, and how persistent review struggles were concentrated late in the game.

Notably, the A’s were slightly more successful in getting calls overturned (3 of 4) compared to the Padres (2 of 4), and crucially, some of the most impactful challenges altered the pitching dynamics in key innings. On one occasion in the bottom of the 3rd inning, an overturned called strike on Rodolfo Durán shifted the count from 1-2 to 0-3, modifying not just the pitch sequence but also the batter’s mindset at a time when the Padres led comfortably at 5-0. Similarly, late-and-close situations in the 5th and 7th innings saw ball and strike calls reversed to favor the Athletics, with counts adjusting enough to influence how hitters and pitchers approached subsequent pitches.