Rockies Edge Pirates 2-1 on Reversed Ninth-Inning Interference Call

Q: How did a bench coach's specific advice on a niche rule decide a Major League game?

A bench coach’s advice on runner-interference mechanics directly produced the game-ending call. Rockies third baseman Kyle Karros said bench coach Jeff Pickler had previously coached him on this exact, uncommon situation: on a slow roller with a runner advancing, “run straight toward the ball. If he touches you, he’s out.” In the ninth inning against Pittsburgh, Karros followed that instruction as Jake Mangum hit a grounder to third with Billy Cook coming home. Karros charged the ball on a direct line and felt Cook’s cleat clip his glove while he was still fielding it. Instead of simply trying to force a throw, Karros immediately alerted the umpires and asked for the play to be reviewed. After conferring, the umpires overturned the initial safe call and ruled Cook out for failing to avoid a defender in the act of fielding a batted ball. Crew chief Todd Tichenor said the rule application was straightforward: the runner did not avoid the fielder, so it was interference. Under MLB rules, that makes the ball dead and the runner out, wiping out what would have been the tying run and ending the game. So the advice mattered in two ways: it told Karros how to take a legal path to the ball without creating contact himself, and it made him recognize instantly that the contact triggered a little-used rule. That awareness turned a potential 2-2 game into a 2-1 Rockies win.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 21

A ninth-inning umpire huddle overturned an on-field safe call and ruled Pittsburgh baserunner Billy Cook out for interference, ending the game and preserving Colorado’s 2-1 win.
Crew chief Todd Tichenor said Cook failed to avoid third baseman Kyle Karros while Karros fielded Jake Mangum’s grounder; Karros said Cook’s cleat clipped his glove.
Pirates manager Don Kelly argued the finish, saying he agreed contact occurred but questioned why the umpires initially called everyone safe before changing it.
Jake McCarthy gave Colorado an early jolt with an inside-the-park leadoff homer off Paul Skenes, while Spencer Horwitz’s first-inning homer produced Pittsburgh’s only run.
The result lifted the Rockies to 30-47 and dropped the Pirates to 38-39.