NEW YORK (AP) — Done in by a robot reversal, Brett Baty of the New York Mets became the first batter to have a bases-loaded walk changed to an inning-ending called third strike by Major League Baseball's new challenge system.
Plate umpire Ryan Blakney was challenged four times in the first inning of the Colorado Rockies' 3-1 win a in doubleheader opener on Sunday, and three calls were overturned.
Baty dropped his bat and started to take off his batting
gloves as he headed toward first after Blakney called ball four on a bases-loaded, full-count sinker on the outside corner. Only Colorado catcher Brett Sullivan tapped his helmet for an appeal, and the Automated Ball-Strike System changed the pitch to a called third strike for the inning’s final out.
Instead of moving ahead 1-0, the Mets never led all day as they were swept. The Rockies won the nightcap 3-0 for a three-game sweep, sending the Mets to their 15th loss in 17 games.
“It would have been big to get a run on the board there in the first,” Baty said. “But it’s part of the game now, so got to deal with it.”
Four of seven challenges overall were successful. Bo Bichette overturned a strike on Jose Quintana’s first pitch of the game and walked. Bichette was only the second player this season to challenge the first pitch of a game to his team: the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto failed to overturn a strike from Cincinnati’s Brandon Williamson on April 11.
“I was really surprised,” Quintana said, “I think that pitch was right on the line.”
After Juan Soto struck out, Colorado unsuccessfully challenged the first pitch to Luis Robert Jr., who then succeeded in having a 2-1 pitch changed to a ball. Robert also walked, Mark Vientos loaded the bases with a bloop single and Marcus Semien struck out.
Three batters before Baty previously had bases-loaded walks changed by ABS to a called strike three, but none had ended innings, according to Elias: Houston’s Yanier Diaz by Seattle’s Cal Raleigh on April 11, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz by the Chicago Cubs’ Carson Kelly the next day and Tampa Bay’s Jake Fraley by Edgar Quero of the Chicago White Sox on April 16.
Before the ABS decision, Quintana had assumed Colorado was trailing 1-0.
“I was thinking next pitch," he said.
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