With the game tied at seven in the bottom of the eighth and runners in scoring position, Rays reliever Ryne Stanek tried to work his way out of a jam using his splitter. He mixed speeds well and appeared in control until a controversial balk call changed everything. On a 3-2 count, he began his move toward the plate, then stepped off. The umpires ruled he bent his knee before stepping off, which by strict rulebook interpretation is a balk. The go-ahead run scored. Stanek was furious, yelling at the umpires and insisting he stepped off cleanly.
He stayed in to finish the at-bat but was clearly unsettled. His next few pitches missed, putting another runner on. Stanek struggled to regain focus. More borderline calls didn’t go his way, frustrating both him and his catcher. Eventually, he gave up another run. The Dodgers, now leading, celebrated openly, and Stanek could only stew on the mound. The balk call loomed large, and the conversation shifted to whether the rule needs to be changed, especially when it doesn’t clearly impact the baserunners. The Dodgers went on to win, while the Rays left angry and empty-handed.