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First Time For Everything

Thanks to reader Daniel Altman for the tip on this...

Well, at least the Mets didn't lose the way that their Double-A Binghamton squad did in Game 2 of its doubleheader against the Reading Phillies on Wednesday night.

The B-Mets dropped a game in a manner I've never heard of before for any game at any level: walk-off catchers interference.

The details are a little sketchy at this point, but I'll try to find out some more. The B-Mets press release (put out by occasional reader/contributor Robert Ford) simply states

"The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh, the last scheduled inning. Spidale led off with a single before Jesus Merchan bunted him to second. After (Robert) Paulk (2-1) intentionally walked Mike Costanzo, Randy Ruiz reached on a fielder’s choice that moved Spidale to third. Once Jacobs was intentionally walked to load the bases, (Jason) Hill reached on catcher’s interference by Mike Nickeas, bringing home Spidale with the winning run."

The Phillies website posts a game story by Tony Zonca with a little more detail

"At first he appeared to line a 2-1 pitch to the shortstop for a rally-ending third out. The next thing you knew, the Phillies were high-fiving near their dugout, their coaches shaking their heads and smiling impishly as they walked off with a most unlikely victory."

Still trying to figure out why the ump made the call (catcher must've hit the bat on the swing?)...Rob Ford subsequently e-mailed me to say that Binghamton tried to get an inning-ending force out at second after the Reading players began celebrating the win, claiming that the runner on first never went to second, but that attempt was unsuccessful.

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