Trailing the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth with one out on Thursday night, Athletics pinch-hitter Colby Thomas found himself in an 0-2 hole against Aroldis Chapman.
The closer fired a 100 MPH sinker that caught plenty of the plate, just a shade inside. Thomas took it. Then, for reasons known only to him, he challenged the called strike.
The Automated Ball-Strike system wasted little time confirming the obvious. The pitch was a clear strike. Thomas was out looking, and the Athletics’ last gasp faded further.
Chapman could only laugh. The left-hander stood on the mound, smiling and shaking his head as the crowd reacted to the futile challenge. With nothing left to lose and the season slipping away, Thomas apparently figured he might as well take a flier.
It was the baseball equivalent of contesting a parking ticket when the meter photo shows the car still sitting there.
Chapman finished the job by striking out Nick Kurtz to secure his 26th save and a 5-4 Red Sox victory.
For Thomas, the night ended with a memorable exit that provided the evening’s lightest moment, even if it came at his own expense. Sometimes the challenge is simply not worth it.
