Balk Blunder Changes Game | Pittsburgh Pirates News

A pitcher’s nightmare: Braxton Ashcraft thought he’d escaped a jam, only to see a balk call gift the Padres a run — and his team’s lead evaporate. Confused and frustrated, Ashcraft called it “the dumbest rule in baseball,” arguing that the umpire misread his windup declaration. His manager backed him up, saying there was confusion over who was supposed to declare the pitch. It’s not the first time Ashcraft’s clashed with this crew of umpires, and he’s hoping MLB revisits the rule — because in tight games, these technical calls can swing everything. The Pirates won in extra innings, but Ashcraft didn’t get the win — proof that even obscure rules can change the course of a playoff race. 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/2820b9fa32c605ec