Patrick Bailey got on base with a first-pitch single, then moved to second after a knock from Tyler Fitzgerald. From there, Bailey began blatantly peeking into the pitcher’s glove, trying to pick up pitch grips. He started signaling the batter using simple gestures, like tugging his jersey for a fastball and rubbing his helmet for a breaking ball. The signs matched the pitches a few times, including a 91 mph fastball and a curveball that were both correctly predicted.
Despite Bailey’s obvious signaling, the opposing pitcher, Nick Pivetta, didn’t notice at first. The catcher tried disguising the calls with fake glove gestures, but Bailey kept relaying signs. Eventually, the pitching coach visited the mound, likely to address the stolen signs. After that, Pivetta adjusted by lowering his glove before bringing it up to start his motion, hiding the ball from Bailey. The change worked. Bailey couldn’t see the pitches anymore, and the inning ended with a strikeout. It was a clear example of the back-and-forth mind games that happen between base runners and pitchers when signs get picked up.