Royals Win on Balk-Off as Mets Claim PitchCom Issue

The Kansas City Royals walked off the Mets Tuesday as umpires called New York pitcher Josh Walker for a start-stop balk, with 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Marvin Hudson came together with 3B Umpire John Tumpane to award the game-ending base award as Royals baserunner R3 MJ Melendez delivered the game-winning run in the 10th inning.

Fresh into the game to face Royals batter Michael Massey, Mets pitcher Walker and catcher Francisco Alvarez appeared to experience communication problems as PitchCom suffered a mechanical failure. Walker made this discovery while engaged (foot on rubber) and before he could properly disengage—and before catcher Alvarez could request "Time"—Walker balked by starting and stopping his pivot leg/foot without disengaging.

HP Umpire Blakney signaled a disengagement and appeared to honor Alvarez's "Time" request, but 3B Umpire John Tumpane and 1B Umpire and Crew Chief Marvin Hudson met and after brief confirmation that they had both seem the leg pump signaled the balk and base award, all while HP Umpire Blakney stood near the mound with his lineup card out, as if he were preparing to document a charged mound visit.

In sum, the call—a start-stop balk for the pitcher failing to go from Stretch to Set Position in one continuous and uninterrupted motion—appeared proper, but mechanically...it could have been a disaster.

*The start-stop is ordinarily balked under Official Baseball Rule 6.02(a)(1) for a pitcher who "makes any motion naturally associated with their pitch and fails to make such delivery," but over the years OBR 5.07(a)(2), requiring pitchers to go from Stretch to Set "without interruption and in one continuous motion," has been colloquially deemed a balk in practice as well as opposed to a "don't do that" instruction alone.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Royals win on walk-off balk as umpire communication skips its plate umpire