SAN DIEGO – Manny Machado, the San Diego Padres’ third baseman, starred in an unorthodox play attempt against the Boston Red Sox that, in the end, cost his team at least one run on Saturday night.
With Jarren Duran on third base and one out in the third inning, Machado still had the ball after Alex Bregman was caught stealing in the previous play. With reliever Wandy Peralta on the mound, Machado tagged Duran, who pointed towards the mound. Third base umpire Scott Barry called a balk, allowing Duran to score and give Boston a 2-1 lead. Trevor Story advanced from second to third.
According to the rules, the pitcher cannot be on the mound for a “hidden ball” play to be legal. If another player touches a runner while the pitcher is standing on or astride the rubber, it is considered a balk.
Masataka Yoshida then hit a ground ball to drive in Story and make the score 3-1. The Padres closed to 3-2 in the bottom of the inning and went ahead 4-3 in the fifth.
