Yankees Batter Explains Costly Mistake

Oswaldo Cabrera's pitch clock violation partly stifled a New York Yankees rally.

Aug 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees second baseman Oswaldo Cabrera (95) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees continue to find new ways to miss out a manageable wins... including a batter taking a pitch clock violation.

Oswaldo Cabrera's costly error outside the batter's box set a somber tone to the ninth inning of the Yankees' 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday afternoon. Cabrera had worked a 3-2 count against Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley, but umpire Ben May ruled that he was not ready for the payoff by the required eight seconds remaining on the pitch clock. A strike, the third, was called, sending Cabrera back to the dugout after a futile argument from manager Aaron Boone.

Oswaldo Cabrera struck out on a pitch clock violation to start the 9th inning

(via @TalkinYanks) pic.twitter.com/VTVWCLNjyL

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 31, 2024

Carbrera, who started at first base before moving to left field, took responsibility after the game, remarking that he was "completely at fault" per Andrew Crane of the New York Post.

"I thought that I was in time," Cabrera said. "Don’t know if I was or not, but at the same time, it’s my fault. So I have to get better in that situation because (those are) the rules."

"It's completely my fault."

Oswaldo Cabrera talks about what happened on his clock violation strikeout in the 9th inning: pic.twitter.com/SDXsbGtPwk

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 31, 2024

Cabrera's miscue proved particularly costly considering the way the rest of the inning panned out: after Gleyber Torres flew to center for the second out, Juan Soto doubled before Aaron Judge was intentionally walked, putting the tying and winning runs on base. But Austin Wells then struck out to close the game, allowing Helsley to pick up his MLB-best 42nd save.

The automatic strikeout stifled a Yankee comeback that saw Giancarlo Stanton erase the bulk of a 6-1 deficit in the bottom of the eighth with a bases-clearing double. New York (79-57) also missed out on a chance to gain a game on the division-lead pursuing Baltimore Orioles, who fell to the last-place Colorado Rockies in Denver later on Saturday night.

Under the polarizing pitch clock rules unveiled in time for the 2023 season, pitchers have 15 seconds between pitches with no men on. For their part, batters "must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or else be charged with an automatic strike," as worded on the official MLB site.

Cabrera finished Saturday's game 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. He was not in the starting lineup for Sunday's rubber match against St. Louis.