ROCKIES WIN WITH FIRST WALK-OFF PITCH CLOCK VIOLATION IN MLB HISTORY
A stadium known more for home runs was the site of the first walk-off pitch clock violation in MLB history.
Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan was cited for taking too long to throw a pitch with a full count and the bases loaded in the ninth inning Saturday night, resulting in a walk by Ryan McMahon to force in the tiebreaking run to give the Rockies an 8-7 win at Coors Field in Denver.
“I thought I picked up the clock. I guess by the time I picked up and looked at the catcher and delivered the pitch, I was just a hair too late,” said Finnegan, who leads the league with nine pitch clock violations this season. “Those situations, it just can’t happen. We deserved to win, and I wasn’t able to do my job.”
WALK-OFF PITCH CLOCK VIOLATION! pic.twitter.com/77Y0HiM6Nd
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 23, 2024The pitch clock was adopted by MLB last season, with the allowable time between pitches with runners on base reduced this season from 20 to 18 seconds.
“Kyle has had some trouble lately with the clock,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It hadn’t really cost him to that point, but it’s something that we’ve kind of felt like might come back to haunt him at some point. He could have stepped off, but it’s a tough situation.
“That’s something that he has to be mindful of. He’s just slow. So it burned him today. Typically it hasn’t burned him.”
Washington led 7-6 entering the ninth inning, but the Rockies rapped four straight singles to tie the score and load the bases.
McMahon worked the count from 0-2 to 3-2 before Finnegan, who had converted 21 of 23 previous save opportunities, was called for the violation by home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt..
“You hate to see a game decided that way, but I’m happy it worked out in our favor,” McMahon said. “I’m never looking [at the clock]. I’m letting the umpire do his job. I didn’t know what was going on until the umpire said something.”
2024-06-23T15:20:15Z dg43tfdfdgfd