In a bizarre turn of events, the Detroit Tigers found themselves on the wrong end of a wild walk-off loss, but it was the umpire who bore the brunt of the mishap.
With the bases loaded and the game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 10th inning, Tigers pitcher Jose Cisnero was one out away from extending the game. All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox stepped up to the plate, and Cisnero delivered a 96.4 mph fastball.
However, to everyone's dismay except for the White Sox, the pitch sailed high and struck home plate umpire Cory Blaser on his face mask, causing the ball to elude catcher Eric Haase. This unfortunate incident resulted in a walk-off win for Chicago, as they secured a 2-1 victory on a wild pitch.
Blaser is reportedly undergoing evaluation following the play, and the White Sox sent out a tweet wishing him a speedy recovery. The Tigers' Haase revealed after the game that the costly mistake occurred due to a miscommunication in pitch selection. Haase called for a slider, but Cisnero mistakenly heard sinker.
It's worth noting that according to Rule 6.01(f) of the MLB rulebook, a ball that hits an umpire is considered live and in play. While the Tigers suffered a unique defeat, it was not the only instance of a run being scored on a wild pitch during the game. Remarkably, all three runs in the contest were the result of wild pitches. This unusual occurrence, as confirmed by Elias Sports Bureau, marks the first time in MLB history that three runs were scored solely on wild pitches, with no other runs scored through conventional means.
Despite the loss, the Chicago White Sox improved their record to 25-35, placing them in fourth position in the AL Central. The team has shown signs of resurgence in recent games, winning 11 of their last 18 outings after a challenging start to the season. Notably, the White Sox have encountered walk-off situations with unconventional plays, having suffered two losses this season due to walk-off bunts.
(Source: yahoo.com)