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6d ago

Michael Wacha’s Broken Chain Precedes A’s Coach Ejection in 5-2 Oakland Win

The sequence spotlighted umpire discretion over batter readiness under MLB’s pitch clock.

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An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A baseball player wearing a light blue and white Royals uniform and cap, with the number 52, looks down while holding his glove, Image 2 shows A baseball game in progress with a pitcher on the mound, a batter at home plate, and a catcher in a squat, Image 3 shows A man wearing a green Oakland Athletics baseball cap and hoodie
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Jim McIsaac_Getty Images (1)

Overview

  • Royals starter Michael Wacha, whose necklace snapped Wednesday night, pocketed it and delivered a first-pitch strike before A’s hitter Carlos Cortes looked set in the box.
  • Shouts from the Oakland dugout drew home plate umpire John Libka’s attention, and he ejected hitting coach Chris Cron moments after the pitch.
  • There was brief confusion about who was tossed until A’s manager Mark Kotsay confirmed Cron was the ejection target.
  • Cortes later walked as Oakland tied the game in the second and scored three in the fourth to close out a 5-2 road victory.
  • Wacha allowed four earned runs in five innings, while the episode highlighted that MLB expects pitcher and batter to show readiness before a delivery, which umpires enforce under the clock.