Kansas City Royals caught a break on rare batter’s interference call on Pirates
A big five-run fifth inning gave the Royals a seemingly comfortable lead during Monday’s 10-5 win against Pittsburgh.
But the Pirates struck right back, pushing a run across to cut the deficit to three in the sixth inning. There were two outs and the bases loaded when Royals reliever Kyle Zimmer threw a 2-2 pitch to Bryan Reynolds that got away from catcher Salvador Perez.
Reynolds checked his swing and Kevin Newman raced home from third and appeared to score a run that would have cut the Royals’ lead to two. Perez got the ball and tagged Reynolds in hopes that a dropped third strike was called.
It wasn’t, but the Royals got out of the inning anyway as batter’s interference was called on Reynolds.
“The explanation that we got was that Reynolds should have stayed in the box on it,” manager Derek Shelton said. “And my interpretation of the rule, and I will check further on this, is that he has to vacate the box because of the fact that if there is a play at the plate, he cannot be in the way of the pitcher coming in for a play.”
Major League Baseball rule 6.03(a)(3) says: “A batter is out for illegal action when he interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher’s play at home base.”
Shelton was most unhappy that Perez appeared to be trying to tag Reynolds for a potential out on a strikeout. Reynolds had checked his swing.
“The second thing I questioned is that there was never an attempt on Newman for the play,” Shelton said. “The attempt the entire time was on Reynolds on the check swing, and it was already checked. It was not a (strikeout). Because of that, there was no play on Newman.”
The Pirates website called it a “bizarre ending” to the inning. And, well, batter’s interference on a play at the plate certainly is not something you see often at a game.
