Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain made history on Monday night, June 8, 2026, by becoming the first Major League Baseball player to successfully overturn three consecutive umpire calls using the Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) challenge system in a single plate appearance.
The milestone occurred during the eighth inning of a 6-2 loss to the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
>>> Golden State Valkyries Top Phoenix Mercury Behind Second Quarter Surge
McLain drew a two-out walk against Padres reliever Jason Adam after challenging three slider pitches that home-plate umpire Lance Barrett had initially called strikes.
The successful reviews came on counts of 1-0, 2-0, and 3-1.
This marked the first time a player won three challenges in one at-bat since MLB implemented the system at the major league level.
The previous near-miss was by Dodgers' Miguel Rojas, who failed on his third attempt on June 1.
McLain on the Technology
"That’s kind of what it’s for," McLain said after the game. "I was glad it’s there because if it wasn’t there, I’m walking back to the dugout."
McLain explained that his familiarity with the pitches allowed him to confidently signal for reviews by tapping his helmet.
All three sliders were shown to have missed below the strike zone.
>>> Samad Taylor's Key Bunt and RBI Lead Padres Past Reds 6-2
"They were really similar pitches, like the height of them all was very similar, so I was pretty confident in all of them," he added.
The consecutive challenges contributed to a night where Barrett had seven of his ten challenged calls overturned, according to official game data from MLB.
com and the New York Times.
McLain, who also recorded two hits in the game, discussed his approach to using challenges.
"I don’t use it much, but that was a good spot to use it," he said.
"It’s more about feeling like you’re in a good spot to use it. You want to save them for later in the game if you can."
Cincinnati catchers have a 67 percent success rate on reviews this season, while team batters maintain a 51 percent success rate.
>>> Bryce Eldridge Extends On-Base Streak to 15 Games Despite Giants Loss
McLain remains a perfect 4-for-4 overall on the year.
