Cubs’ Stroman called for first pitch clock violation
CHICAGO — Cubs starter Marcus Stroman was called for a pitch clock violation during the third inning of Chicago’s season-opening 4-0 win over Milwaukee on Thursday, making him the first player to be penalized under the new rule during a regular-season game.
Stroman took his place in baseball’s history book for this oddity when he took too long to deliver a 1-2 pitch to the Brewers’ Christian Yelich. Stroman was checking on the Brewers’ Brice Turang, who was on second base, and the clock expired just before Stroman delivered a pitch from the stretch.
“It’s tough, man,” Stroman said. “It’s tough, this pitch clock. It’s a big adjustment. I don’t think people really realize it. It just adds a whole other layer of thinking.”
Joining Stroman in the history book will be home plate umpire Ron Kulpa, who emphatically pointed to the pitch clock and shouted out the violation. Yelich took advantage of the free ball two pitches later by drawing a walk. The Brewers did not score in the inning.
Under the new rules, pitchers have 15 seconds to deliver a pitch with the bases empty and 20 seconds if a runner is on base. The penalty for a pitcher running out of time is an automatic ball.
While the majority of big league pitchers were able to get mostly acclimated to the new clock during spring training, Stroman had a limited opportunity to do so because of his participation in the World Baseball Classic, pitching for Puerto Rico.
Tasked with making his first Opening Day start as a member of the Cubs, Stroman had plenty on his plate without the new rules. A routine-oriented pitcher who mixes up his pace depending on the game situation, Stroman says the pitch clock is a complicating factor for sure and one that might throw some pitchers off.
“I do feel super rushed at times,” Stroman said. “Even between innings. I’m running out there very early to warm up in between. A foul comes up and you don’t even have time to rub the [new] ball up.
“And I’m a big breather. Sometimes I’m not able to catch my breath and find my proper breathing that I do before pre-pitch. It’s definitely been a dynamic that’s going to be tough on some guys.”
Stroman recovered from the penalty just fine, earning the win over the Brewers and ace righty Corbin Burnes. Stroman threw six shutout innings in one of his better outings since joining Chicago as a free agent before the 2022 season.
It was a memorable day, given the pomp of a Wrigley Field opener, but because of the historic nature of that first pitch clock faux pas, it’s an outing that will be immortalized in the collection of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, which will seek a relic from the game to mark the occasion.
That means Stroman is headed for the Hall of Fame, albeit for a reason that he didn’t exactly dream about. Still, that’s not what he is most going to remember from the festive, chilly afternoon at the Friendly Confines.
“These are the moments it’s so hard to replicate,” Stroman said. “So I’m very grateful and thankful to have been in this moment, to have the opening day start and to go out there and get the win in front of the incredible home crowd. I’m just excited and happy to be here.”
In another first on Opening Day, Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers made history by becoming the first player to strike out on a pitch clock violation. Leading off the 8th inning with Boston down 10-4, Devers was looking down and kicking his cleats when umpire Lance Barksdale called the violation.
The violation happened with a runner in scoring position, and with Boston coming back in the ninth inning to bring the score within a run, 10-9, the strikeout could have affected the game’s outcome.
“There’s no excuses,” Cora said. “They know the rules. We know the rules.”
J.D. Davis of the San Francisco Giants became the first hitter called for a pitch clock violation in the ninth inning of a game at Yankee Stadium. Davis took too long getting into the box to begin an at-bat against Ron Marinaccio, prompting plate ump Laz Diaz to penalize him with an automatic strike. Davis went on to strike out.
A few minutes later, Atlanta Braves reliever Collin McHugh put his arms out wide after being called for a violation by umpire Dan Bellino in the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals. That put batter Jeimer Candelario ahead 1-0, and McHugh followed up with three more balls — a three-pitch walk, essentially.
“I didn’t even realize it happened, quite honestly,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. “It’s going to happen.”
New York Mets All-Star Jeff McNeil was angered by a violation called by plate umpire Larry Vanover in the sixth inning against the Miami Marlins. McNeil was waiting for baserunner Pete Alonso to retreat to first after a foul ball when Vanover dinged him for an automatic strike. That prompted an argument with McNeil and Mets manager Buck Showalter, who seemed irritated the pitch clock began before Alonso returned to first.
It worked out for McNeil — he grounded an RBI single a few pitches later.
–ESPN’s Joon Lee and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Max Olson, ESPN Staff Writer
BOULDER, Colo. — Deion Sanders watched his Colorado offense put up 49 points on the top scoring defense in the Big 12 on Saturday, but he isn’t satisfied. The coach expects dominance in all three phases of the game.
The Buffaloes outplayed Utah in two out of three phases and eventually got rolling on offense in a 49-24 victory, extending their win streak to four games and ensuring they’ll remain in the Big 12 championship race the rest of the way. Afterward, Sanders delivered a critique that sounded a little more like a warning to others.
“We haven’t even put it all together yet,” Sanders said. “Like, we haven’t even played our best game. That should be, in itself, scary. Like, man, when I said we comin’, we still comin’. We never stopped comin’. We are comin’. And we ain’t nearly there yet.”
Colorado (8-2, 6-1) got a strong start from its defense, which held the Utes (4-6, 1-6) to 83 yards on 33 plays in the first half, and a 76-yard punt return touchdown from receiver LaJohntay Wester to help make up for a bumpy start on offense. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was intercepted on his first pass and later fumbled a snap for another turnover.
It may not have been the Buffaloes’ finest performance of the season, but it was a 25-point win over the preseason Big 12 front-runner, snapping a seven-game losing streak against a program whose last win at Folsom Field came by a score of 63-21.
“I think that speaks a lot about the program and where we are,” Deion Sanders said. “We’ve got to tighten some things up and get some things together, but you see we’re trending in the right direction.
“We started off rough. That wasn’t indicative to who Shedeur is, and I thought he was kind of OK all game long. Then I look at the stats and he’s 30-for-41 for 340 [yards] and three [touchdowns]. Like, c’mon man. I guess I’m just a hard dad to please at times, as well as a hard head coach.”
Sanders praised Utah’s defense and the problems it presented throughout the contest and said he was thankful for the challenge. It took complementary football to overcome the two first-half turnovers, with Colorado’s defense holding Utah to field goals after both takeaways. The Buffaloes didn’t surrender a touchdown until midway through the third quarter.
“Those type of things can’t happen,” Shedeur Sanders said, “and I’m going to have a talk with the whole offense and apologize for my performance out there at the very beginning, because I can’t put the team in that type of situation. I’m thankful for the defense. I may have to take them out to dinner this week for saving me and saving the team.”
Sanders responded after the fumble by guiding an 85-yard touchdown drive that featured another highlight-reel moment for Travis Hunter. Sanders threw deep to Colorado’s two-way star on a fourth-and-8, and Hunter made a leaping grab over two Utah defenders for a 25-yard gain. Sanders hit Will Sheppard for an 8-yard score on his next throw to extend Colorado’s lead to 21-6.
Hunter added to his Heisman Trophy résumé Saturday with 55 receiving yards on five catches, a 5-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse and his third interception of the season while playing 132 snaps.
When asked if he had a message for undecided Heisman voters, Deion Sanders did not hold back.
Travis Hunter after his third interception on the season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NhvAnbGLow
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 16, 2024
“If they can’t see, they can’t see,” Sanders said. “It is what it is. I mean, Travis is who he is. It’s supposed to go to the best college football player. I think that’s been a wrap since, what, Week 2? So we ain’t petitioning for nobody. We ain’t doing that. We’ve got a wonderful display of cameras here and I think we’re on national television every week. If they can’t see it, there’s a problem.
“Don’t allow their hatred for me to interfere with our kids’ success. They gotta stop that. Y’all gotta stop. Some of y’all are like that. Y’all gotta stop that, man. Give the kids what they deserve, man. I had my turn. I played 14 years. You had 14 years to hate me. Now let it go.”
Hunter was the Heisman front-runner in ESPN BET odds entering Week 12 at +125, ahead of Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward.
Colorado’s defense was able to constantly pressure freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson, forcing four sacks and three interceptions, and Utah finished with a mere 31 rushing yards, their fewest in a game since 2011. The preseason No. 12 Utes were considered the Big 12 favorites entering their first season in the conference but are now in danger of their first losing campaign since 2013.
“I’m in the twilight zone,” Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. “… It’s the most difficult year of my coaching career, hands down, not even close.”
Colorado continues to control its destiny in chasing a Big 12 championship game bid, as the lone team in the 16-member conference that has lost just one conference game entering Saturday. The Buffaloes’ four-game win streak since a 31-28 home loss to Kansas State on Oct. 12 is the longest of Sanders’ two-year tenure.
After a 4-8 debut season, he has this once struggling program right where he planned to be for Year 2. In a league known for dramatic games decided by one-score margins, Sanders isn’t just trying to survive and advance to Arlington, Texas. He says he’s aiming for “flawless.”
“We expect to be here,” Sanders said. “A lot of y’all didn’t expect us to be here, and don’t think we don’t know that. But we expected to be where we are. Matter of fact, we expected to be a little better.”
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Ball State fired coach Mike Neu, the school announced Saturday. The Cardinals are 3-7.
Neu was 40-63 in nine seasons at Ball State. Neu led the Cardinals to the MAC title in 2020, which was his only winning season at Ball State.
Sources told ESPN that the staff was informed of Neu’s dismissal early Saturday.
Offensive line coach Colin Johnson will serve as the interim head coach for the last two games, athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement. Ball State hosts Bowling Green on Nov. 23 then plays at Ohio on Nov. 29.
Neu, 53, is a beloved alum with a strong campus reputation, but the lack of results ultimately led to his dismissal. Ball State lost 51-48 in overtime at Buffalo this week and fell to 2-4 in MAC play.
That clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for Ball State.
“Coach Neu has poured his heart into the Ball State football program,” Mitchell said in the statement. “I commend him for his professionalism and the positive team culture he has constructed. His efforts have greatly impacted the lives of hundreds of young men. He has represented the Ball State brand with integrity and class, and I wish him well in future pursuits.”
Neu led Ball State to two bowl games. That included a win over San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl to conclude the 2020 season, when Ball State finished 7-1 and won its first MAC title since 1996.
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