Luis Gutierrez was on the mound for the Reds with a runner on second and one out in the top of the second. He mixed a curveball and fastball on the outside edge, subtly keeping eyes on the runner while giving the impression he wasn’t paying attention. The base runner took the bait and broke for third. Gutierrez quickly turned and ran him down, triggering a textbook rundown involving nearly every Reds infielder. Joey Votto, who started the play at first, ended up making the tag at third after a series of clean throws and smart positioning. It looked like a defensive drill with perfect execution.
Pirates manager Derek Shelton wasn’t happy. He argued that Gutierrez should’ve been called for a balk, claiming he separated his hands before stepping off the rubber. The umpires disagreed, and replays didn’t clearly back up the claim. There’s debate about whether breaking your hands before a disengagement counts as a balk, but in this case, the call stood, and the runner was out. The Reds got off the field without further damage, and the Pirates had one more reason to be frustrated in a rough season.