Red Sox-Braves Game Ends on Pitch Clock Violation Strikeout

Atlanta second baseman Cal Conley became an unwitting cautionary tale.

Forget fans. Baseball's new rules are taking some getting used to for players, too.

Proof positive of this came during a Grapefruit League game between the Red Sox and Braves Saturday afternoon in North Port, Fla, which ended in a fashion only possible in 2023.

With the two teams locked in a 6-6 tie, two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and Boston pitcher Robert Kwiatkowski facing Atlanta second baseman Cal Conley, Kwiatkowski fell into a full count. 

Then, Conley did the rest of his job for him. The 2021 fourth-round draft pick was found in violation of MLB’s new pitch clock and was assessed an automatic strike that ended the game in a tie.

The rule, new in 2023 after a successful trial run in the minor leagues, stipulates that "batters must be in the box and alert to the pitcher by the 8-second mark or else be charged with an automatic strike."

Conley was not, and thus became a cautionary tale a day after Padres infielder Manny Machado became the rule's first casualty.