Darwinzon Hernández strikes out the side, on eight pitches
Veteran Derek Holland tweets his feelings on the new MiLB pitch clock rules
I know when reading the headline people are going to say, you can strike out the side with eight pitches. However, that’s no longer the case due to the pitch clock rules in the minors.
On Saturday, the Worcester Red Sox played host to the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. In the top of the second, Darwinzon Hernandez was on the bump for the WooSox. Hernandez struck out the side on eight pitches.
How?
Hernandez was able to strike out the side on eight pitches because of a new minor-league rule that penalize batters who do not stay in the batter’s box in between pitches.
The IronPigs Austin Wynns was called out on an automatic strike to end the inning.
Red Sox veteran left-hander Derek Holland spoke out on Twitter about what he watched unfold on the baseball diamond Saturday.
“Well today in triple a I got to witness the dumbest thing to happen in baseball. Yes i get it we have a pitch clock. But what happened to spay was so freaking dumb.
“I witnessed a guy get called on strikes due to stepping out of the box because he wasn’t in the batters box at a certain time,” tweeted Holland.
Major League Baseball announced on March 14, 2022, brand new experimental rules that were approved by the Competition Committee and the Playing Rules Committee for use during the 2022 Minor League season.
The experimental rule states that with no batters on base, a pitcher much deliver the ball within 14 seconds or else an automatic ball will be called. Batters must be in the box, ready to swing with nine seconds left on the timer or else an automatic strike is called.
These new experimental rules are being implemented at the minor league level to improve the pace of play in Major League Baseball.
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