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Clock Violation Triggers Double Play, Bench Clearing

7/21/2026

27 6 Full Breakdown

Summary

Clemons Enforces Clock

Umpire Paul Clemons halted play at the eight-second pitch-clock and instructed Dennis Santana to wait until José Caballero looked.
Santana induced Caballero into a 1-6-3 double play while teammates Rafael Flores Jr. and Henry Davis restrained him as benches emptied.
MLB clarified in June that hitters must look at the pitcher when the clock reaches eight seconds after Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider raised the issue.

Summary

Caballero Calls Clock

Aaron Boone said “sometimes boys will be boys” and noted that pitchers can be caught off guard by Caballero’s timing.
Don Kelly said Santana “just got frustrated,” praising teammates for stopping the escalation.
Caballero told reporters the league should focus on the pitch-clock rule, not his box routine.
The Yankees have 15 pitch-clock infractions this season, the league’s second-most, while Pittsburgh ranks among the fewest.

History

Historical Context

Rob Manfred’s 2022 Triple-A pitch-clock trial cut games by about 25 minutes and logged roughly 1,200 International League violations, building on 20-second clocks first used at Triple-A in 2015 after earlier SEC and NCAA tests. The experiment’s success now drives MLB’s eight-second rule changes, prompting Yankees manager Aaron Boone and Blue Jays manager John Schneider to voice fresh frustrations.

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Clemons Enforces Clock

Umpire Paul Clemons halted play at the eight-second pitch-clock and instructed Dennis Santana to wait until José Caballero looked.
Santana induced Caballero into a 1-6-3 double play while teammates Rafael Flores Jr. and Henry Davis restrained him as benches emptied.
MLB clarified in June that hitters must look at the pitcher when the clock reaches eight seconds after Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider raised the issue.

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