Willson Contreras uses pitch clock to his advantage against Kenley Jansen, a breakdown

May 19, 2023 1.5M views 6:28

What Happened

Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras steps to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the St. Louis Cardinals leading the Boston Red Sox 3-2. Kenley Jansen, the veteran closer for the Red Sox, takes the mound, looking to secure the save. Contreras quickly works the count to 1-1 and that's when the gamesmanship begins. Contreras starts positioning his feet outside the batter's box, forcing Jansen to pause and make eye contact with him before delivering the pitch. The umpire warns Contreras that he needs to have both feet in the box and be fully ready before Jansen can throw. Undeterred, Contreras continues his strategy, keeping one foot out of the box while maintaining eye contact with Jansen. The umpire then calls a ball, giving Contreras a free base. Contreras successfully steals second base, putting the tying run in scoring position. "I was doing that on purpose to mess with his timing," Contreras later explains. "That's what I've got to do to help the team win." The next batter, St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, also takes advantage of Jansen's hesitation, drawing a walk. With the game-tying run now on third base and the go-ahead run on second, the Red Sox decide to intentionally walk the next batter, loading the bases. On the next pitch, the Red Sox get the double play they need to end the inning, but an errant throw allows the tying run to score, knotting the game at 3-3. The Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar then steps up and the umpire has to again warn him about keeping both feet in the box before Jansen can deliver the pitch. "There, you learn a lot," Jansen says after the game. "I just learned something to be aware of that I wasn't sure to be aware of." Ultimately, the Cardinals hold on to win the game, thanks in large part to Contreras' savvy use of the new pitch clock rules to disrupt Jansen's rhythm and timing. It's a prime example of the gamesmanship and strategic nuances that the pitch clock has introduced to the game of baseball.

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