Thursday, the new pitch clock debuted for the first time in regular season MLB games.
And with two on and two outs in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins, the New York Mets were affected by it in an unexpected way.
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Jeff McNeil fouled off a ball for a 0-1 count, which became 0-2 before another pitch could be thrown after home plate umpire Larry Vanover called an automatic strike. His reasoning: Pete Alonso had taken too much time to get back to first base.
The rules allow umpires to call a violation if a baserunner is taking excess time in what appears to be an attempt to delay the game.
The pitch clock isn’t supposed to begin until runners and field players are set after a foul ball. Manager Buck Showalter came out to argue the call, but it stood.
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McNeil finished the at-bat by hitting a single up the middle to extend the Mets’ lead to 3-0. The Mets ended up beating the Marlins, 5-3.
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