Sean Manaea threw the first no-hitter of the 2018 MLB season, and he got some help from the umpires on a controversial call in order to achieve the milestone.
With two outs in the top of the sixth inning, Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi hit a slow grounder to first. Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson fielded it and reached out to tag Benintendi, who veered away from the base line in order to avoid the tag.
Benintendi avoided the tag and was initially given a hit, but the A’s challenged the call. The umpires overturned the initial call and ruled that Benintendi was out of the base path.
Matt Olson fields the ball and lunges for the tag, forcing Andrew Benintendi to leave the base path and keep Sean Manea's no-hit bid intact (00:58)
MLB Gameday: https://t.co/W91qs6MEvu pic.twitter.com/EcoUkD14B0
— Ballpark Videos (@BallparkVids) April 22, 2018
The rule states that if a runner goes more than three feet to avoid a tag, the runner is out.
Rule 5.09(b)(1), below. Benintendi's path is established when Olson attempts to tag Benintendi. He is charitably on the foul line when Olson attempts the tag and ends up having to reach perpendicularly to touch the first base bag. Benintendi is 5-foot-9, so there you are. pic.twitter.com/Xxr5c7JJKq
— Jeremy F. Koo (@jfkooAN) April 22, 2018
Benintendi said after the game he thought the umpires missed the call.
Andrew Benintendi called it a “missed call” and thought the umpires were “searching for something” because of the situation. He was steamed.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) April 22, 2018
With the help of the call, Manaea was through six hitless innings. He then recorded nine more outs to complete the no-hitter, finishing with just two walks allowed and 10 strikeouts in the 3-0 win. It was quite a feat by Manaea, even if he benefited from a call. And it didn’t stop folks on Twitter from gushing about it.
