The Boston Red Sox prevailed over the Kansas City Royals Monday night time in Fenway Park, 6-2. This might be a type of instances the place merely wanting on the rating and even finding out the field rating would not replicate seeing precise visuals. I say this as a result of the sport ought to have gone to the tenth inning nonetheless tied at two.
With the rating knotted, 2-2, within the backside of the ninth with two on and two out, Purple Sox second baseman Luis Urías got here to the plate. On a 3-2 rely, he appeared to strike out on an tried examine swing. Simply watch his response right here, as he appears like he knew he struck out.
As a substitute, the house plate umpire determined to examine with the first-base umpire — a completely affordable transfer from behind the plate, because it was shut and he must take care of the placement of the pitch — after which we see a secure name, as if Urías did not swing.
Once more, that was with a 3-2 rely and two outs within the ninth of a tie recreation.
You already learn the headline, so you realize what got here subsequent. Pablo Reyes got here to the plate and …
Let’s take a second for Reyes. That is an extremely cool second that most individuals do not even expertise on the Little League degree, a lot much less in Fenway Park successful the sport for a group in rivalry. It was solely his seventh profession dwelling run, his first since 2021, his first grand slam and his first walk-off homer. Have a look at all that enjoyable. Good for him.
It simply should not have come to that.
After all, there’s one caveat and that will be the truth that Main League Baseball nonetheless does not have a rulebook definition of a swing. I’ve been covering this for years and it is madness that they’ve by no means tried to outline a so-called “examine swing” or “checked swing” in phrases.
This is a snippet of one thing I wrote in 2019:
Scour the rulebook yourself if you want. It is 188 pages with zero point out of easy methods to name a swing. The one point out concerning the scenario comes right here, in Rule 8.02c’s remark:
Appeals on a half swing could also be made solely on the decision of ball and when requested to attraction, the house plate umpire should seek advice from a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Ought to the bottom umpire name the pitch a strike, the strike name shall prevail. Appeals on a half swing have to be made earlier than the following pitch, or any play or tried play. If the half swing happens throughout a play which ends a half-inning, the attraction have to be made earlier than all infielders of the defensive group go away honest territory.
There hasn’t been a change.
One of many foremost causes there is not a rule is it is type of accepted by, nicely, everybody {that a} participant can primarily go “midway” or so with out having it rely as a swing, however as soon as he goes previous midway, that is a swing.
Nonetheless, within the case of Monday’s Purple Sox win, even Urías knew he went too far. Once more, simply watch his response on the replay.
Regardless, the Purple Sox win the sport and transfer to 58-54 on the season.
