ARLINGTON, Texas — Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon knew it was ball four to Ben Zobrist, who was already headed toward first base. Even Texas Rangers closer Joe Nathan expected that would be the call after his full-count pitch.

Except plate umpire Marty Foster called a game-ending third strike — one he later admitted was wrong.

Nathan mouthed “Wow!” when the strike was called to wrap up his 300th career save, which along with the Rangers’ 5-4 victory stood despite Foster’s postgame admission late Monday night.

“That kind of call cannot occur. I don’t even want to say under those circumstances,” Maddon said. “The last inning, the last out of the game. I’m not even going to go there. That call can’t be made in a Major League Baseball game.”

The last pitch, a curveball, was low and outside. Zobrist put both hands on his helmet and took it off in disbelief while Maddon quickly came out and argued with the umpires for several minutes, even standing in front of them at the gate where they exit the field.

“I saw the pitch and of course don’t have the chance to do it again,” Foster told a pool reporter after the game. “But had I had a chance to do it again, I wouldn’t call that pitch a strike.”

“Did I draw it up like this for my 300th (save)? No. But we’ll take it,” Nathan said. “I knew I was throwing it there. The fact is I thought it was ball four. I thought he might offer at it. When he didn’t, my mindset went more to concentrate on what we’ve got to do with (Evan) Longoria now. I think I might have been the last guy on the field to realize the game was over.”

Nathan’s milestone save was his second this year, and 39th in two seasons with the Rangers.

After the Rays scored twice in the eighth off two relievers, Nathan came on to start the ninth. The 38-year-old right-hander allowed a two-out RBI single to Sean Rodriguez, who was still on base with Longoria (3 for 3 with a walk) on deck when strike three was called.

“Umpires make mistakes just like players do. It was a tough time to have a bad call,” Zobrist said.