Minnesota Twins right-hander Aaron Sanchez was involved in an unusual sequence during Tuesday's game against the Houston Astros that resulted in him being removed prematurely because of Major League Baseball's rules on mound visits.
The scene went down to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. Sanchez threw an inside pitch that struck Astros second baseman José Altuve in the leg. Sanchez subsequently traded verbal barbs with Altuve as the latter made his way to first base, leading to both benches clearing, including a number of Twins coaches who helped calm tempers.
A few batters later, when Twins pitching coach Pete Maki made a trip to the mound, he was informed that Minnesota would have to remove Sanchez. The umpires, as it turned out, counted the trip to the mound the Twins made during the spat as a coaching mound visit, making Maki's trip the second of the inning. That, as everyone knows, means a pitching change must be made.
Twins manager Rocco Baldelli was incensed by the series of events. Baldelli expressed his displeasure during a lengthy interlude that, intentionally or otherwise, provided reliever Cole Sands with additional time to warm up before he entered the game.
It's worth noting that MLB's rule book states coaches must consult with the umpiring staff before they cross the foul line if they believe they're owed an exception to the mound visit rule. The Twins, obviously, did not realize they had already been credited with a mound visit, and their ability to question their status evaporated by the time Maki stepped onto the mound.
Sanchez, for his part, was making his second appearance of the season with the Twins and his ninth appearance overall. He had pitched in seven contests earlier this year with the Washington Nationals before being released in late May. His final line on Tuesday saw him complete four innings and allow two earned runs on six hits and a walk. He also punched out four batters on 75 pitches, with 50 going for strikes.
