SI

Rockies–Nationals Game Ends on Pitch Clock Violation, a First in MLB History

Madison Williams

Jun 22, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies designated hitter Hunter Goodman (15) is greeted by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) after scoring the tying run against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Coors Field.
Jun 22, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies designated hitter Hunter Goodman (15) is greeted by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar (14) after scoring the tying run against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning at Coors Field. / John Leyba-USA TODAY Sports
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The Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies were tied 7–7 in the bottom of the ninth inning in Denver on Saturday night, and Washington closer Kyle Finnegan was ready to end the game.

However, Finnegan committed a pitch clock violation as the bases were loaded, meaning the Rockies won on a walk-off solely based on the reliever's mistake. It's the first time in MLB history that a game has ended with a pitch clock violation since the rule was introduced in 2023—and certainly not the type of history Finnegan was hoping his name would be attached to.

The wild part is, Finnegan leads the league with pitch clock violations this season with nine total so far. This one definitely had the biggest ramifications, though.

"At first, I didn’t really know what he called because I thought I was right on time. I wasn’t,” Finnegan said, via MLB. “So it kind of dawned on me that I was too late. Just immediately, [I] felt awful about letting the team down in that big spot there. To lose the game in that way, it just can’t happen."

Fans couldn't believe their eyes when this happened late on Saturday night. Check out some of the social media reactions.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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