There has been speculation since the early days of spring training about the impact of the new slide rule that has been adopted by Major League Baseball to better protect middle infielders.
Well, we're finding out. The Toronto Blue Jays lost a game to the Tampa Bay Rays when slugger Jose Bautista and teammate Edwin Encarnacion were both called out after video replay officials in New York ruled that Bautista illegally contacted infielder Logan Forsythe in the ninth inning of Tuesday's game at Tropicana Field.
The decision negated an errant throw by Forsythe that allowed two runs to score and temporarily gave the Jays the lead.