SI

Rangers’ Mitch Garver Tricked Blue Jays Pitcher into Costly Balk, and MLB Fans Loved It

This was so smart.
Andy Nesbitt|
Rangers’ Mitch Garver Tricked Blue Jays Pitcher into Costly Balk, and MLB Fans Loved It
Rangers’ Mitch Garver Tricked Blue Jays Pitcher into Costly Balk, and MLB Fans Loved It

In this story:

Toronto Blue JaysTexas Rangers

Baseball is a beautiful sport in which on any given day you might see something happen in a game that you’ve never seen happen before. 

That occurred in Monday night’s Rangers-Blue Jays game when Texas catcher Mitch Garver found a brilliant way to trick Toronto pitcher Chris Bassitt into being called for a balk. That call allowed Garver to walk home for the game’s first run.

Garver was at third base and, with nobody covering the bag, he made his way really far down the baseline, which got Bassitt’s attention. The pitcher then ran at Garver and was called for a balk thanks to MLB’s new disengagement rule that allows pitchers to only have two pickoff attempts or step-offs during a plate appearance.

Check this out: 

Here's another angle on it:

MLB fans loved it: 

Published | Modified
Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

Share on XFollow anezbitt
Home/Extra Mustard