Astros' Smith walks after three swinging strikes on umpire error
Houston Astros outfielder Cam Smith drew a walk on Tuesday despite swinging and missing the first three pitches of his plate appearance against the Boston Red Sox. Umpire Mark Wegner failed to count the second swinging strike, allowing the at-bat to continue under a mistaken 1-2 count. Smith reached first base after three balls were called later in the sequence.
The unusual sequence unfolded at Daikin Park in Houston. Smith whiffed on the first pitch for a 0-1 count. On the second pitch, another miss coincided with a throwing error by Red Sox catcher Connor Wong on a stolen base attempt, which scored a run and made the score 6-1 Astros. Wegner did not register the strike, preserving what he believed was a 1-2 count. Smith then missed a third pitch without a strike-three call, fouled off one pitch, took a ball, fouled another and took a second ball before walking on the third.
Wegner reviewed video after the game and acknowledged the error. Red Sox pitcher Brayan Bello asked the umpire about the count during the at-bat. Such counting failures have occurred multiple times in MLB history, with a video compilation identifying at least 35 instances dating back decades, many in the 21st century.
The Astros won 9-2. Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed confusion about the plate appearance in his postgame comments.
