Logan Gilbert Caught a Line Drive in His Jersey and It Wasn't Even an Out

Wednesday's game against the Athletics gave everyone at T-Mobile Park a masterclass in the weird corners of baseball's rulebook, and unfortunately for the Mariners, they were the ones getting schooled. Athletics right fielder Carlos Cortes absolutely smoked a 107.8 mph line drive back at Mariners starting pitcher Logan Gilbert. The ball just vanished. Because it went straight into Gilbert's jersey, between the buttons.

Yeah, you read that right. Gilbert looked around confused for a second before he figured out where the ball went, reached into his own uniform, and pulled it out. You'd think that's an automatic out, right? Wrong.

The Rules Say What Now?

Per MLB rules, a catch is only ruled when a fielder secures possession of a ball in flight using their hand or glove and holds it firmly, without using their cap or any other part of their uniform to gain possession. Since Gilbert's jersey was doing the work here, not his glove, the ball was ruled dead and Cortes got first base as a single.

That's not even the worst part. The Cortes play loaded the bases with nobody out. Tyler Soderstrom stepped up next and immediately hit a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring a run. The A's then added another run on a Jeff McNeil RBI single before the Mariners even got their first at bat. Seattle was already down 2-0 before stepping into the box, though they did scrape one run back in the bottom of the first.

It's Happened Before, and It's Messy

Here's the kicker: this exact same thing happened to former Phillies pitcher Nick Pivetta back in 2017, except the umpires got it wrong that time and called it an out. Pivetta was quick enough getting the ball out of his jersey and running off the field that the umps never had time to discuss it. Gilbert wasn't so lucky.

Gilbert also had to get checked out by a trainer after taking that liner to the midsection, but he stayed in the game. The Mariners headed into the series finale looking to avoid getting swept at home by the American League West leading Athletics. Seattle came into the day at 10-15 on the season, while Oakland sat at 13-11.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.