Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter was called for a balk on consecutive pitches during Saturday's game against the New York Mets.
It happened in the bottom of the fourth with no outs and Mets runner J.D. Davis on first base. Carpenter's first pitch to Mets batter Pete Alonso was low and outside, but Davis was allowed to advance to second as multiple umpires called Carpenter for a balk.
The next pitch was right down the middle of the strike zone, but Carpenter was called for a balk again, so Davis advanced to third. This naturally upset Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire, who came out of the dugout to argue the calls, but to no avail.
It was unclear to us what Carpenter did, but it seemed clear as day to the umpires. It's rare to see a pitcher called for a balk on consecutive pitches.
Davis came around to score on a single to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. It was the last run that Carpenter would give up, as he made it through five innings before being taken out. The Mets beat the Tigers 5-4 in extra innings.
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Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
