New York Mets: Pete Alonso has power to steal strikeouts from Jacob deGrom
Pete Alonso is a great hitter but the New York Mets 1st Baseman also has the power to erase Jacob deGrom strikeouts.
We all know how good Pete Alonso is as a hitter. We also know how good Jacob deGrom is as a pitcher. But when they clash together, you never know what will happen.
Early in the game between the New York Mets and the Rockies, deGrom was facing Antonio Senzatela with a runner on 1st and he was able to work the count to 2-2. On the fifth pitch, Senzatela bunted the ball foul.
Major League rules say that if you are on a two strike count and you bunt foul, that’s an automatic strikeout. It should have been deGrom’s fourth strikeout of the evening, but it was never meant to be.
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Alonso stole the show by charging from first and diving to catch the ball just inches off the ground. deGrom clearly knew that it was supposed to be a strikeout and immediately let Alonso know.
For the time being, deGrom’s strikeout total remained at three, but not for long as he reached seven by the end of the fourth inning.
There may forever be an asterisk assigned to that play and may be something that the Mets could possibly appeal. This is a result of that same rule.
We all know what the infield fly rule is, right? The ball that’s hit in play is automatically declared an out. That decision is made after contact is made but before the ball is caught.
Could that same scenario be applied to this one? The rule states that if the ball is bunted foul on a two strike count, it’s automatically a strikeout.
Simply because the ball was bunted foul on two strikes, it’s automatically a strikeout when the ball is still in the air, before the catch.
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Regardless of what happens to the play in the future, it was a great display of talent for Alonso and definitely a humorous story to tell.