On Wednesday evening at Citi Field, Brett Baty found himself at the center of a perplexing incident involving a mysterious ABS challenge during the Mets game.
During the sixth inning, Baty was called out on strikes and directed a frustrated look towards umpire Junior Valentine. In a split-second decision, he raised his arm, seemingly to protest the call.
However, Baty’s gesture did not meet the helmet tap requirement necessary to challenge a call. Despite this, Valentine interpreted the motion as a challenge, leading to an official review of the pitch.
The called strike was quickly confirmed, as a confused Baty could be seen pleading his case to the umpire.
The bizarre sequence cost the Mets their final challenge of the game, and manager Carlos Mendoza wasted little time entering the field and arguing with Valentine’s interpretation of the moment.
The Mets trailed the Tigers 2-1 when the strange Baty strikeout occurred but tied the game in the seventh inning.