Balls and strikes are now reviewable in baseball, and that has added some drama to the first few days of the season.
You might think that with a limited number of challenges per game — and technology that's hard to argue with — the tension would be minimal, but Minnesota manager Derek Shelton got himself ejected in the ninth inning against Baltimore on Sunday over a pitch review.
With one on and one out and Baltimore up by two, Ryan Helsley's 3-2 pitch to Minnesota's Josh Bell was called a ball. Helsley tapped his hat — the signal for a challenge — then did so again as if to drive the point home. The replay showed the pitch nicking the outside corner, the call was overturned, Bell was out, and Shelton argued. He was eventually thrown out of the game.
Shelton told reporters afterward he didn't think Helsley tapped his hat quickly enough.
Another game that raised eyebrows was Cincinnati's 6-5 win over Boston on Saturday. There were eight ABS (Automated Ball-Strike System) challenges in that game with umpire CB Bucknor behind the plate. Six calls were overturned. The Red Sox used both of their challenges by the end of the third inning. All five of Cincinnati's challenges were successful.
As for the game itself, Pete Alonso singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, Tyler O'Neill hit a three-run homer and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Minnesota Twins 8-6 on Sunday.
After the Twins bolted to a 4-0 lead against Orioles newcomer Shane Baz, Baltimore bounced back to win the deciding matchup of the season-opening, three-game series.
Alonso snapped a 5-all tie in the seventh with a soft single to center field off Mick Abel (0-1). It was Alonso's first RBI with the Orioles since leaving the Mets in December as a free agent.
Adley Rustchman followed with a run-scoring double and Coby Mayo tacked on an RBI single.
Rico Garcia (1-0) got the last out in the seventh, Yennier Cano struck out Royce Lewis with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth, and Ryan Helsley worked the ninth for his second save.
Obtained from Tampa Bay in an offseason trade, Baz struggled in his Baltimore debut just two days after signing a $68 million, five-year contract. The right-hander gave up four runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Minnesota's four-run second included a double by Tristan Gray that brought in three runs, the last after Gray was tagged out at third.
O'Neill homered off Twins starter Bailey Ober in the fourth to make it 4-3, and Dylan Beavers put Baltimore in front with a two-run double in the sixth.
Lewis tied it with his second homer of the season in the seventh. He skipped into second base and continued his animated home run trot all the way to the plate.
Up next
Twins: RHP Simeon Woods Richardson faces Kansas City in the Royals' home opener Monday afternoon.
Shelton was ejected in the ninth inning against Baltimore Sunday over a pitch review
