The 27th Out Was a Cleat Kick, And the Pirates' Tough Luck Is Getting Wild

Holy smokes, did you catch that Rockies-Pirates game on Saturday? Because it ended in a way that just makes you scratch your head and say, "Wait, what?!" The Colorado Rockies narrowly pulled off a 2-1 win at Coors Field, but it was all thanks to a game-ending runner interference call that had everyone confused. Billy Cook, the Pirates' runner, got called out after he accidentally made contact with third baseman Kyle Karros' glove, snatching a potential rally right out from under Pittsburgh. Unbelievable.

"I Knew The Rule Going Into It," Says Karros

So, here's what went down: Karros was trying to field the ball for the 27th and final out of the game when Cook's foot nudged his glove. Karros, who immediately looked to second base umpire Tyler Jones, didn't waste any time explaining it after the game. He told MLB.com, "I was going to get the ball, then his cleat kind of clipped my glove. I still fielded the ball, but it was all kind of rattling around in my glove, so I couldn't really get a throw off. But I knew the rule going into it." While it wasn't super obvious live, the slowed-down replay definitely showed that contact. The umpires huddled up, talked it out, and ruled Cook out for interference. MLB Rule 6.01 is pretty clear: if a runner "hinders a fielder's attempt to catch or field a batted ball," the batter is out and the ball is dead. Pirates manager Don Kelly, also talking to MLB.com, pointed out, "They said that they got together and that Billy kicked his glove, which he did, looking at the replay. I just didn't know, if you saw that, why it wasn't called immediately. You had to get together to call it." Cook himself was pretty shocked, saying, "I didn't feel contact, and then all of a sudden they called me out and I was like, 'Dude, I didn't feel it.' I watched the replay and it nicks just enough of his glove, but the cleat and everything, I didn't feel it in the toe area. I guess the replay shows that I did. The video doesn't lie. Just unfortunate how that played out." Ouch.

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Another Heartbreaker For the Pirates' Early Season Form

This bizarre ending just capped off back-to-back brutal losses for the Pirates in Colorado, and man, you gotta feel for them. On Friday, they were down 4-3 and loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning, only to fail to score thanks to a strikeout and a double play. Then Saturday, they had the bases loaded with one out in the ninth, and again, couldn't score. This time, it was a strikeout followed by Cook's runner interference. Talk about bad luck! Pittsburgh's now dropped 10 of their last 14 games, pushing their record to 38-39. They're two games back from the third wild-card spot, with five other teams ahead of them, as they try to reach the postseason for the first time since 2015. Meanwhile, the Rockies, despite their 30-47 record which is still baseball's worst, are actually showing some fight. That 30-47 mark is a noticeable improvement for them; last year they were a dismal 17-60 through 77 games and 30-88 at one point. Crazy contrast in trajectories, right?

So, the Pirates are sitting at 38-39, feeling the sting of back-to-back losses that could've easily been wins. This team is clearly fighting to find their stride early in the season, and these kinds of heartbreakers don't make it any easier. Will they bounce back, or will these weird, late-game collapses become a trend? Every game matters for them right now, and you gotta wonder how many more of these gut punches they can take.

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