The New York Yankees took on a surprisingly strong Baltimore Orioles for the series opener on Tuesday at their home turf in the Bronx. The Orioles forced the Bombers to toil hard for the win as the game got stretched into the 10th inning. Luckily for the Yankees, Anthony Volpe and Aaron Judge’s last minutes’ heroics saved the day, and they went up 1-0 in the three-game series.
However, a bizarre incident that occurred during the game could have cost the Yankees a huge cheque. The team summoned its highly regarded reliever, Michael King, to close out the game in the ninth. The reliever did a good job and, fortunately, did not leak any more runs, which helped the Bronx Bombers score the leading run. However, a moment of frustration with the PitchCom device could have landed the pitcher in huge trouble.
Michael King Hurls The PitchCom Device Into The Crowd, Team Escapes Huge Fine
PitchCom devices are used by pitchers and catchers to communicate the upcoming pitches. It’s a legally tendered device allowed within the rules laid by MLB. However, at the end of the day, these remain electronic devices that tend to go rogue at any time. The same thing happened with Yankees reliever Michael King. His end of the PitchCom device was faulty, due to which he was unable to communicate with catcher Ben Rortvedt. King tried to make it work multiple times but failed. Hence, in frustration, he threw the device at the Yankees’ dugout. However, the device flew like a frisbee and landed in the crowd when a fan got a hold of it.
But what the pitcher did not know is that there is a fine in place over the use of these devices. See, MLB issues these devices to each team, which costs them a hefty price. Hence, according to a memo issued last year, protecting the PitchCom devices is the sole responsibility of the teams. If they lose either the transmitter or receiver, the team will require to pay a fine of $5,000 per unit. Michael King certainly did not know that. But luckily, the Yankees were able to retrieve the device from the stands and hence escaped the fine.
Aaron Judge, Anthony Volpe’s Late Resurgence Helps The Yankees Record A Thriller Win
Gerrit Cole made a start for the New York Yankees on Tuesday against the Baltimore Orioles. However, it proved to be not his day as he leaked five costly runs. Just then, the captain, Aaron Judge, jumped into rescue and slammed a game-tying homer in the ninth inning. That helped the Yankees level the score, and the game was pushed to the 10th inning. Still, the business was unfinished. Michael King did an amazing job and closed the game well.
It was the hitter’s turn to help the team get through the finish line. This time around, rookie Anthony Volpe rose to the occasion. With third base loaded, Volpe sacrificed a flyout and helped the man at the third reach home and also recorded his first career walk-off in the process. The Yankees dugout erupted in celebration, and Rizzo lifted Volpe on his shoulders in excitement. The rookie saved the day for the team on their home turf.
