The Padres and Guardians had a rare and confusing sequence that turned into a double out. It started with Manny Machado making a tough throw from his knees that pulled the first baseman off the bag, putting two Guardians on base. Then came a strange moment involving a green screen ad that made the ball vanish mid-pitch, frustrating viewers. With runners on first and second, the potential was there for a bunt situation. But after a failed bunt and a few pitches, a bizarre play unfolded. The runner from second tried to advance, and the pitcher threw to third. Manny fielded it, got tangled with the runner, and sold the interference to the ump. Both runners were eventually called out—one on the tag, the other for interfering during a possible throw.
The play sparked debate about whether the pitcher committed a balk during the spin-and-throw move. Some fans and even the Guardians broadcast initially insisted it was a balk because the lefty didn’t visibly step off the rubber. But others pointed out that the move looked like the legal right-handed spin move used when throwing to first. Because the runner took off before the pitcher reacted, many argue there’s no deception, so no balk. Still, the move looked odd because it’s so rarely seen from a left-hander, especially when throwing to third. Plenty of replay and rule book study followed, but the consensus landed on it being legal, even if confusing. In the end, Manny played it smart, made sure the ump saw the interference, and helped turn a quirky situation into two outs.