Two nights ago, New York Yankees star DJ LeMahieu became the first batter to lead off an inning by hitting into a double play. The New York Mets’ reliever, Edwin Diaz, got a two-batter inning, which has never before happened in the top half of an inning. This was made possible by the bad baserunning of Tyler Wade, but also by the bad new rules of Major League Baseball. (The Mets would win the game on a walk-off home run by slugger Pete Alonso in the bottom of the 10th.)
In an effort to increase scoring in extra innings, each team now begins its half of the inning with a runner on second base. This makes it possible, for the first time in baseball history, for the first batter of an inning to hit into a double play.
Back in 2017, MLB also changed the rules on intentional walks. Normally, if a team doesn’t want to pitch to a batter, and is willing to put him on first base, they throw four pitches way out of reach. Under the new rule, the pitcher just tells the umpire that he’s walking the batter, and without a single pitch, the batter goes to first.
These two rules, which both make it possible for runners to reach base without a single pitch, allow for some previously impossible possibilities.
Some are theoretical only, such as a zero-pitch inning in which the pitcher intentionally walks each of three batters and then picks off each when he’s leading off of first. Others could really happen. Here are a few that probably will:
A pitcher gets a zero-pitch loss
Under regular rules, it’s very possible for a pitcher to record a loss on one pitch by giving up a game-winning walk-off home run on his first pitch of the game (Yankees’ pitcher Albert Abreu threw only two pitches Thursday night).
Under the new rules, it’s plausible that a pitcher could throw zero pitches and get a loss.
Imagine Abreu comes into the game in the bottom of the 10th in a tie game. The Mets’ Billy Hamilton gets to start the inning on second base. Hamilton takes a big lead, hoping to score on a single, and so Abreu, before throwing a pitch, spins and tries to pick him off.
But Abreu’s throw is wild and flies into center field. The Yankees’ centerfielder was extra shallow, and he picks up the overthrow and tries to throw out Hamilton at third. His throw skips past the third baseman and into the dugout. Hamilton is awarded home. The game is over. Abreu, who threw zero pitches (just one pickoff attempt), gets the loss.
A pitcher gets a perfect game loss
Pitchers have lost no-hitters a handful of times before because runners can reach by an error or a walk and then score. But now, a pitcher could lose after throwing a 10-inning perfect game.
Imagine Jacob DeGrom retires all 27 batters through 9 innings, but the Mets never score. Since DeGrom has thrown only 80 pitches, he takes the mound for the 10th inning.
In the top of the 10th, the Yankees start with a man on base, their first base runner of the night. The first batter smartly pokes a ground ball to the second baseman, advancing the runner to third. The next batter hits a fly ball to the warning track. The runner tags up and scores. 1-0 Yankees. DeGrom gets out the third batter.
The Mets don’t score in the bottom of the 10th.
DeGrom will have faced 30 batters, retired every one (a perfect game), and recorded a loss.
A one-pitch, three-out inning
Imagine the Yankees were the home team, and they started the bottom of the 14th with the game tied, and slugger Aaron Judge is leading off. The Yankees get a runner at second automatically.
On deck is Kyle Higashioka, and behind him is Tyler Wade — the two combine for a .170 batting average or so. So, Mets’ reliever Walker Lockett gives Judge an intentional walk. This both sets up the double play and allows Lockett to face fewer batters.
On the first pitch, Higashioka ropes a screaming one-hopper to third, where Mets’ third baseman Todd Frazier fields the ball, stepping on third forcing out the lead runner. Frazier fires to second base, where Luis Guillorme is covering. Guillorme forces out Judge, throws to first, and triples up Higashioka.
One pitch and a triple play.
