The Giants beat the Brewers on Friday night with two ninth-inning home runs and a grand slam — one of the most impressive, dramatic endings in franchise history.
The Giants beat the Brewers on Saturday night with a bases-loaded balk. Just about the least entertaining, technical way to win a baseball game imaginable.
By Jandel Gustave’s eighth-inning infraction that scored Wilmer Flores from third, starter Alex Cobb had fled to the clubhouse. He was watching the game on television, though.
“I didn’t see much,” Cobb, who pitched a season-high 7.1 innings, said.
You can Zapruder Film the play below. The FOX announcers were shocked, calling it ticky-tack. On first glance, it really doesn’t look like much — like Cobb said.
But crew chief Bruce Dreckman said it was a pretty clear-cut, by-the-rules violation.
“Obviously, the plate umpire saw a start and stop. That was basically what happened. Pretty much textbook balk. It’s not somethign we like to do, but it’s part of our job. Sometimes we have to make the unpopular decision.
It was a “pretty cut-and-dry” infraction, Dreckman added.
But when pushed further by a pool reporter, Dreckman said “when they start bringing their hands up, they can’t just bring them up and stop in mid-stroke of their pitching delivery.”
If that was Gustave bringing his hands up, seemingly any pitcher getting set could be considered a balk. If anything, the balk came on Gustave’s slight head flinch.
There’s always human error in baseball, though, including the umpires. The Giants know that as well as anyone. Calls can go your way and against you.
Mike Yastrzemski, the hero of Friday night’s game, had as good a view as anyone at Gustave’s balk, given that he was in the batter’s box. But even he was only paying half-attention, he admitted.
“It looked like there was a little flinch there,” Yastrzemski said. “That’s the reason umpires are there and what they’re doing their job for. Obviously it’s not the most exciting way to win, but we’ll take any win we can.
