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Ohtani Exits Game 7 After Bichette’s 3-Run Blast as Warm-Up Leeway Draws Protest

Umpire discretion under MLB rules allowed extra warm-up time for Ohtani following his at-bats, prompting a Toronto protest.

Overview

  • Pitching on three days’ rest, Shohei Ohtani was removed in the third after Bo Bichette’s three-run homer gave Toronto a 3-0 lead.
  • Ohtani allowed three runs on five hits in 2 1/3 innings with two walks and three strikeouts before Justin Wrobleski took over.
  • Blue Jays manager John Schneider questioned home plate umpire Jordan Baker after Ohtani received extended between-innings warm-up time when switching from hitting to pitching.
  • The MLB rulebook permits delaying the between-innings timer when the pitcher ends an inning on base, on deck, or at bat, and a 2023 change lets umpires grant extra time for special circumstances, as rules analyst Mark Carlson explained on FOX.
  • The decision drew online criticism alleging favoritism, while Ohtani also recorded a first-inning single, becoming the first pitcher with a hit in a World Series Game 7 since 1986.