On Wednesday, the Yankees’ game against the Tigers turned bizarre in the late innings when a balk was called on reliever Mark Leiter Jr. for one of the strangest reasons fans have ever seen.
The incident happened in the top of the seventh inning. Mark Leiter’s pitch bounced off catcher Austin Wells and somehow got stuck under his chest protector. Instead of calling it a dead ball, the umpires, after a brief discussion, ruled it a balk, moving the runners and leaving both benches stunned. The Tigers gladly took the free base, while the Yankees, who were recently on the wrong side of another umpire’s call, stood around looking confused.
Watch the video here:
Notably, this isn’t the first time the Yankees have been on the wrong end of bizarre umpiring calls this season. Last week, umpire Brian Walsh came under fire for ruling Ryan McMahon’s liner a no-catch.
It didn’t take long for fans to light up social media, who called the umpire’s decision “ridiculous”.
Check out some reactions:
“This is not a balk. It’s a lodged ball. Dead ball and runners advance,” one fan explained.
“How does that make any sense,” another shocked Yankees fan asked.
“My brain hurts from trying to understand this,” one X user commented.
“I’ve seen like 4 never-seen-that-before baseball plays this season,” another user reacted.
“I’m actually not sure I’ve ever seen that before lol,” one fan replied.
“Ridiculous rule,” another angry fan wrote.
“Who approves these awful rules?” another disappointed Yankees fan asked.
” Stupid rule. Imagine losing a World Series this way,” one fan commented.
Balk On Mark Leiter Jr. Overshadows Yankees’ Blowout Loss
Mark Leiter Jr.’s odd call was one of the few moments that drew laughs in an otherwise ugly night for the Yankees. The Tigers cruised to an 11-1 win, piling up hits against New York’s bullpen and leaving the home crowd frustrated.
Detroit’s bats came alive late, with Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, and Colt Keith each launching two-run homers in a five-run eighth inning. Starter Jack Flaherty was sharp, striking out seven over five scoreless innings on just two hits. Meanwhile, Carlos Rodon pitched well for New York, lasting six innings and allowing just two runs, but the bullpen collapsed badly after Mark Leiter Jr.’s odd call. A solo homer by Austin Wells in the eighth was the only offense for the Yanks.
The loss drops the Yankees to 80-65, placing them second in the AL East, three games behind the division-leading Blue Jays. They will conclude the series on Thursday.
The post “My Brain Hurts Trying To Understand” – Yankees Fans Left In Disbelief After A Balk Was Issued To Mark Leiter Jr. For The Most Ridiculous Reason originally published on Total Pro Sports.