Late Aaron Boone, Matt Blake ejections vs. Angels were all about defending Cam Schlittler

Cam Schlittler's Wednesday night start in Anaheim was absolutely spellbinding, but it could've been even more impressive if the umpiring crew hadn't tripped over their own feet early in the evening. With an opportunity at hand to take a late stand (with a 6-1 lead), Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake took aim, not just at a terrible 10th inning call, but in defense of their pitcher, who'd had a shot at history swiped from him hours earlier.

Boone and Blake were shooed off the field in the 10th when leadoff hitter Vaughn Grissom went 85% of the way around on a check swing and was allowed to continue batting for some reason.

"How the f*** did you miss that call?" Boone can be seen screaming at first base umpire Junior Valentine — and Paul O'Neill also correctly noted that home plate umpire Dillon Wilson signaled to first base emphatically, assuming a punchout was coming, and somehow didn't get it.

This was, though, not the first time this umpiring crew botched a check swing. If they hadn't failed hours earlier, Schlittler might've been chasing magic.

Anaheim umpires have no idea what a check swing is, ruin Cam Schlittler perfect game bid

Way back in the second inning — somehow with Grissom also at the plate — the umpires were asked to review a diving swing where he lunged over the plate and likely also crossed the plane. It wasn't quite as obvious as the 10th inning edition, but it still looked like strike three. Instead, Grissom was allowed to continue hitting, then roped a hanging curveball into left-center field for the game's first hit.

From that point on, Schlittler retired 17 in a row ... before allowing Grissom to loft a long fly ball to center with two outs in the seventh frame. Somehow, that one got out, knotting the score and putting Boone on the clock for his future ejection.

If not for the earlier miss, though, Schlittler would've been looking to retire his 21st straight batter to open the game, and would've carried a lower pitch count into the bottom of the seventh. Who knows how that Grissom AB and the rest of the game would've gone if he'd been even more laser-focused?

Regardless, we'll never know, and we'll have to accept eight brilliant innings and a no-decision. If only the umpires had been wearing their glasses, history could've been made in Anaheim last night.

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