Mets win on walk-off HBP after Conforto seemingly leans into pitch

The Miami Marlins were not happy with how Thursday's game against the New York Mets ended, and they may be onto something.

Mets outfielder Michael Conforto was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning to bring home the winning run. However, Conforto appeared to lean into Anthony Bass' pitch, which would've been a called third strike had it not grazed the batter's elbow guard.

"From my point of view, it was a slider," Conforto said, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. "It felt like it was coming back to me. I turned. There may have been a little lift to my elbow just out of habit, out of reaction, and it barely skimmed the edge of my elbow guard."

According to MLB rules, the umpire could've overruled the hit-by-pitch if he had determined the pitch to be in the strike zone.

"A hit-by-pitch occurs when a batter is struck by a pitched ball without swinging at it," per the rules. "He is awarded first base as a result. Strikes supersede hit-by-pitches, meaning if the umpire rules that the pitch was in the strike zone or that the batter swung, the HBP is nullified."

Marlins manager Don Mattingly came on the field to argue the call but to no avail. The umpires were unable to review whether Conforto leaned into the pitch, as it's considered a judgment call by the home plate umpire, MLB stated, according to Newsday's Anthony Rieber.

For his part, home plate umpire Ron Kulpa acknowledged he got the call wrong.

"The guy was hit by the pitch in the strike zone," Kulpa said postgame, according to Rieber. "I should have called him out."