Balk Blows Up Ashcraft's Game | Pittsburgh Pirates News

Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft’s game nearly derailed by a baffling balk call that scored a run for the Padres and spiked his pitch count—thanks to a rule requiring pitchers to declare their motion when runners are on third, which Ashcraft didn’t do for the second batter. Frustrated and calling it “the dumbest rule in baseball,” he still delivered a solid six-inning outing, but the balk cost him a chance to finish strong. The call sparked debate among fans, broadcasters, and manager Don Kelly, who questioned whether the rule should even exist—and whether it’s really serving the game. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/82e51b3e78e639b0