Ke’Bryan Hayes stepped into the box against Walker Buehler looking to make an early impact. After working the count, Hayes crushed a 3-1 fastball and sent it clanging off the left-field foul pole. The Pirates celebrated. The scoreboard said 1-0. It looked like a clean solo homer. But things quickly unraveled.
While watching the flight of the ball, Hayes missed first base as he made his way around the bases. Dodgers players didn’t notice, but one fan did and pointed it out in the stands. The umpires eventually checked and confirmed the miss. Despite the ball clearly leaving the park, Hayes was called out. The run didn’t count. His trot meant nothing after forgetting step one—touch the bag. Hayes later admitted he had been focused on the ball and didn’t think he missed the base, but the replay showed otherwise. He returned to the dugout frustrated and yelled into a towel. The rule may feel outdated, but it’s clear: if you don’t touch the bases, the home run doesn’t count—no matter how far it flies.