MLB Team Wins with 'Balk-Off' as Boy Who Cried Wolf Actually Gets One Right
Seattle Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz has a reputation for calling out pitchers for balks, even when they don’t apply.
Even his manager, Scott Servais, sees it.
“The fans can’t hear it in our dugout, but Nelson Cruz has a thing, he’s been doing as long as I’ve known Nelson. He screams “Balk!’ every opportunity he can,” said Servais, reported MLB.com.
“Tonight, he finally got one. He got it right. That’s Nelly’s thing. He’ll scream it, yell it when he’s on the bases, in the dugout, even in the batter’s box. Anytime a pitcher does anything that looks a little different, he starts screaming, ‘Balk.’ He said he called it tonight,” added Servais.
And it couldn’t have come at a better time. It resulted in a walk-off balk, or a “balk-off,” win for the Mariners.
For only the 22nd time in MLB history, a game has ended with a walk-off balk. @Dodgers pitcher Dylan Floro committed the balk with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th tonight, handing the @Mariners the win. Rarity! pic.twitter.com/G2EgvKoWDt
— Alex Harris (@alexstuharris) August 19, 2018
The walk-off balk happened in the bottom of the 10th inning with the scored tied 4-4. After Cameron Maybin reached on a fielder’s choice and Robinson Cano singled, Cruz drew a walk to load the bases with one out.
Dodgers reliever Dylan Floro, facing Kyle Seager, initiated his delivery, but then stepped off the mound. Cruz, as he often does, was calling for a balk.
This time he was right. Cruz jumped up and down and pointed to the first base umpire, who simultaneously made the call.
Nellie was ON IT. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/VvfIz8XloW
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) August 19, 2018
As a result, the runners all advanced a base, including Maybin, who crossed home plate for the winning run. Final score: Seattle 5, Los Angeles 4.
“Something weird was happening out there. I didn’t necessarily know what was going on, but I heard Nelly scream, ‘Balk!’ and there was a party after. So it was good,” Seager said, according to MLB.com.
Floro didn’t protest it and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, after seeing the replay, seemed to accept it.
“That was a tough one. It’s (a balk) obviously when you’re trying to deceive the runner. Obviously, there was no intent to deceive. I thought he stepped off in time, but I looked back at the replay and there was a little bit of a buckle of the knee,” Roberts said, reported ESPN.
With Oakland beating the Astros 7-1 on Saturday, the A’s moved into a tie for first with Houston in the AL West. The win kept Seattle 3.5 games behind Oakland and Houston.
The loss prevented the Dodgers from picking up a game on first-place Arizona, who lost to San Diego 7-6.
The Dodgers remain two games back in the NL West.
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