Machado draws first pitch clock violation
Tick, tock,
Better watch that pitch clock.
Baseball’s new timing device made its big league debut Friday during a limited schedule of spring training openers and wouldn’t you know it, it was Machado, the San Diego Padres’ All-Star slugger, not a pitcher, who was called for the first violation.
Machado found out the hard way that the pitch clock works both ways. He wasn’t fully in the batter’s box and facing Seattle Mariners lefthander Robbie Ray as the 15-second clock wound under 8 seconds in the bottom of the first inning. Umpire Ryan Blakney called time and signaled strike one against Machado, who finished second in last season’s NL MVP race.
Machado was hardly fazed. He singled on a 2-1 pitch and then collected another single his second time up.
Machado, who batted between fellow superstars Xander Bogaerts and Juan Soto, laughed about it afterward.
“Going into the record books, at least. That’s a good one. Not bad,” Machado said. “I might just be 0-1 if I can get two hits every game.”
If Major League Baseball was looking for immediate results from the new rules designed to improve pace of play, including the pitch clock, it got them. The Mariners won 3-2 in 2 hours, 29 minutes, which is fast for any game, spring or regular season.
Padres manager Bob Melvin said he walked over to MLB officials Morgan Sword and Mike Hill afterward and said: “If this is going to be the pace of these games, I’m OK with it.”
The game “felt really fast at the beginning. Guys were looking at the clock, Manny makes history with the first infraction in major league history, another feather in his cap,” Melvin quipped. “During the course of this game we acclimated a little bit. So far, so good.”
With the pitch clock, players will have 30 seconds to resume play between batters. Between pitches, pitchers have 15 seconds with nobody on and 20 seconds if there is a baserunner. The pitcher must start his delivery before the clock expires. After a pitch, the clock starts again when the pitcher has the ball back, the catcher and batter are in the circle around home plate, and play is otherwise ready to resume.
Batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher with at least 8 seconds on the clock. Batters can call time once per plate appearance, stopping the countdown.
When a pitcher doesn’t throw a pitch in time, the penalty is an automatic ball. When a batter isn’t ready in time, it’s an automatic strike.
“That time came by quick,” Machado said. “It’s definitely something we’re going to have to get used to. It kind of takes away your routine, being up there and zoning in before the pitch. The umpire gave me a little warning — ‘Hey, you got two seconds’ — but I was already late when I got in there.”
COWBOYS TAKE A SCHOTT
Brian Schottenheimer is taking over as offensive coordinator for Dallas, with the Cowboys still planning on coach Mike McCarthy taking on play-calling duties.
Schottenheimer’s move from consultant to Kellen Moore’s replacement was announced Friday along with the rest of the changes to McCarthy’s staff.
The 49-year-old Schottenheimer joined the Dallas staff last season after a season as passing game coordinator in Jacksonville that followed a three-year stint as the offensive coordinator for Russell Wilson in Seattle.
Moore and the Cowboys agreed to part ways in January, a week quarterback Dak Prescott and the offense struggled in a 19-12 divisional round loss to San Francisco. A day after that move, Moore was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.
Schottenheimer is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer, who gave McCarthy his first NFL job on the elder Schottenheimer’s Kansas City staff in 1993.
KIRK IN COMMAND
There have been about 7,200 rounds played at the Honda Classic since it moved to PGA National 17 years ago.
Only two of those were better than the one turned in Friday by
Chris Kirk.
Kirk shot an 8-under 62 in the second round, moving him to 9 under for the week and one shot behind Justin Suh (64) at the tournament’s midway point. Kirk had an eagle and six birdies, hitting 16 greens and taking advantage of no wind blowing in the morning — very rare for PGA National.
Suh had four consecutive birdies on holes 8 through 11, rolling in putts from 5, 15, 25 and 30 feet in that span, to post a 36-hole total of 10-under 130.
“I think we’ve been trending in the right direction,” Suh said. “Every week I’ve been improving and just certain spots, and I think it’s gratifying just to see the progressive work pay off.”
There was no shortage of players taking dead aim. Ryan Gerard (63) and Ben Taylor (65) were tied for third at 8 under. Ben Martin (64), Eric Cole (66) and Brice Garnett (64) were all another shot back.
XAVIER ROLLS OVER HALL
Souley Boum scored 23 points, Colby Jones had 19 and the two combined on a decisive run early in the second half in leading No. 16 Xavier to an 82-60 victory over host Seton Hall.
Adam Kunkel added 13 points and the Musketeers (21-8, 13-5 Big East) held the Pirates to 21 first-half points in winning for only the second time in five games.
There was a scuffle in front of the scorer’s table with 1.6 seconds remaining involving Boum and Jaquan Sanders. Both received technical fouls. Pirates forward KC Ndefo, who had fouled out, was ejected after officials reviewed the altercation.
Sanders, a freshman, came off the bench to lead Seton Hall (16-13, 9-9) with 11 points, equaling a career high. The Pirates played without point guard Kadary Richmond, sidelined by a back injury.