Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) – Andres Torres sparked a three-run top of the ninth with a two-run double, as the San Francisco Giants rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 7-5, in a wild game between these NL West rivals.
With one out and the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, up by a run, acting manager Don Mattingly made a visit to the mound to discuss strategy with Jonathan Broxton and the infield. However, as he was leaving the mound, Mattingly got to the grass, then turned around after James Loney asked a question. Bochy noticed this rule:
VISITS TO THE MOUND BY A Manager or coach are covered under rule 8.06 in the Official Baseball Rules and section 7.12 in the Major League Baseball Umpire Manual. A trip to the mound begins when a manager or coach crosses the foul line. It ends when the manager or coach leaves the 18-foot circle surrounding the pitcher’s rubber.
Technically, Mattingly made two visits to the mound, meaning Broxton had to be removed from the game. At that point, nobody was warming up, naturally with their closer on the mound, so the Dodgers had to scramble to find relief. George Sherrill was brought in to turn switch-hitter Andres Torres around, but the embattled reliever allowed a two-run double and the lead was gone.
This isn’t even the first time Bochy has noticed this rule against the Dodgers. Four years ago, when Bruce Bochy was managing the Padres, he noticed the same technicality by Grady Little, which meant Brad Penny had to be removed from the game.
That forced LA to bring a new pitcher into the game. A cold George Sherrill faced off against Torres, who laced a two-run double into the gap in left- center field. Travis Schlichting was called in from the bullpen and issued an RBI single to Buster Posey two batters later. The Dodgers eventually got out of the inning, but not before the Giants took a 7-5 lead.
The bizzare events in the ninth capped off what was a heated game. A total of three batters were hit by pitches, and many others were almost hit. That helped lead to the ejections of Los Angeles manager Joe Torre, starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw, and bench coach Bob Schaefer.