Something happened during an Astros-Yankees game that’s never been seen before in MLB history. With the Astros threatening and the bases loaded, Luis Severino found himself in a jam. After Alex Bregman ripped a two-run double, the Yankees still had two runners in scoring position and two outs with Yuli Gurriel at bat. But then Severino had trouble with the PitchCom system, which lets catchers relay pitch calls through a mic in the pitcher’s hat. He couldn’t hear the pitch, stepped off the mound to fix it, and everything looked calm—until Kyle Tucker bolted for home.
Tucker thought Severino was distracted, but Severino stayed locked in. He calmly fielded the ball and threw it home. Jose Trevino blocked the plate, tagged Tucker, and ended the inning. Tucker’s late steal attempt backfired. He had made a risky call and paid for it. Replay showed how Trevino expertly blocked Tucker’s lane, using his foot to keep the runner’s hand from touching the plate, a heads-up move given the new rules on blocking. Severino walked off cool, tossed the PitchCom device aside, and got a thumbs up from his catcher.
The Astros ended up winning the game, but Severino escaped what could’ve been a disaster inning thanks to quick reactions and sharp defense. This moment marked the first time a PitchCom malfunction led directly to a baserunning blunder. It’s a sign of how new tech in baseball is already shaping how the game unfolds.