Posting their best regular-season record in 19 years and on pace for a wild-card playoff spot, a night game tied at 3–3 in Atlanta dragged on into extra innings. In the bottom of the 19th inning, Atlanta placed runners on first and third with one out. Atlanta's Scott Proctor hit a ground ball to third base which was fielded cleanly by Pedro Alvarez. Alvarez threw home to Pirates' catcher Michael McKenry, who appeared to apply the tag to the Atlanta base runner, Julio Lugo, in plenty of time. To the shock of everyone watching, home plate umpire Jerry Meals indicated that Lugo had avoided the tag by signalling "safe." Pirates manager Clint Hurdle came out to argue the call, but the argument fell on deaf ears, and the Braves won the game 4-3. Meals came under severe criticism from the media and Pirate fans, and shortly afterwards, he and his family received death threats from Pirate fans. Meals lives in Salem, Ohio, which is approximately 70 miles from Pittsburgh.