Sports

Padres Pitcher Blake Snell Blamed The Pitch Clock For Giving Up A Home Run

#Pitch Clock
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San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell

Getty Image / Sarah Stier


The new MLB pitch clock rules have been a smashing success for most baseball fans and the league office. The rule was established before this season to shorten games that had seemingly gotten longer every year.

And, games certainly feel quicker this year with the pitch clock. And, the data shows it, games are indeed shorter.

But some pitchers aren’t happy about the pitch clock, which gives pitchers 15 seconds between pitches with the bases clear and 20 seconds with runners on base. It has definitely affected different pitchers differently. Some are used to working fast, and the pitch clock gives them an advantage, as it speeds up the hitters, too, who have to be in the box ready to hit. with 7 seconds left on the clock, And, with the advent of PitchCom last year in MLB, a system that allows pitchers and catchers to call pitches electronically, that has also sped up the pitch-selection process, and in turn, the entire game.

But, former AL Cy Young Winner and current San Diego Padres starter Blake Snell isn’t feeling it. And, he blamed the combination of the pitch clock and PitchCom for giving up a two-run blast to New York Mets power hitter Pete Alonso.

Here was the home run.

That’s a bomb. And, it was Alonso’s sixth home run of the year in just 13 games, the most in MLB through Wednesday. And, it gave the Mets the 3-2 lead in the rubber game of their series with San Diego. They would win the game, 5-2. Afterwards, Snell blamed it on the pitch clock and PitchCom.

Grooving a 2-0 fastball down the middle to player that has the most home runs in the league since 2019 seems bad, but what do I know? He could’ve just thrown a better pitch.