Major League Baseball Rule 5.06.b.3(E) flies under the radar until the rare occasions upon which it is actually broken. Such was the case Tuesday when Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez used his facemask to corral a ball that had gotten behind him.
In the 10th inning, Vazquez smothered a 1-and-2 pitch in the dirt with runners on first and second and two outs and Kansas City’s Lucas Duda at the plate. Instead of picking it up with his glove, Vazquez scooped the ball with his catcher’s mask.
Unbeknownst to Vazquez, that action ran afoul of MLB Rule 5.