SEATTLE -- Logan Gilbert literally wore one on Wednesday afternoon.
The Mariners’ ace corralled one of the most bizarre comebackers in recent memory when absorbing a 107.8 mph liner from Carlos Cortes during the first inning.
In his jersey.
The ball screamed back up the middle, quite literally into the middle of Gilbert’s jersey, where it got lodged between the buttons.
From there, Gilbert was still sorting things out because the play remained live, yet he wasn’t sure where the ball had dropped. Hop-scotching on the mound, he searched around in confusion before realizing it was still stuck in the polyester.
“It was just a blur,” Gilbert said, after the Mariners prevailed with a 5-4 walk-off win. “I mean, I thought it was coming from my face for a second. So all things considered, it could have been worse. It didn't really get a bone or anything, so just a little bit of pain.
“It happened so quick that I wasn't sure what happened. I mean, it hurt after that a little bit. So I had to take a second.”
Once the dust settled -- and despite the spectacular effort -- Cortes was credited with a hit and awarded first base.
The umpires immediately called time to stop play once they realized the ball had gotten stuck, in accordance with the MLB Umpire Manual's Rule Interpretations, which say that a batted or thrown ball going inside a player or coach's uniform is deemed out of play. At that point, it's up to the umpire's discretion to place the runners.
“I didn't know the rule,” Gilbert said. “And at first I thought I was pretty fortunate that it was a catch, but I guess it wasn't a catch. But at the same time, if they hit it like 110 off the bat, I don't really feel like I deserve an out there.”
The rule’s language explains why the runner on third base, Nick Kurtz, stayed put, and the runner on first base, Shea Langeliers, advanced to second. A’s manager Mark Kotsay was seen suggesting to umpires that Kurtz should’ve been allowed to advance home for a run, but that is where the “umpire’s judgment” came into play.
“I wanted to verify that I could challenge the runner at third base being able to score,” Kotsay said. “Since the ball was lodged, it’s batter, runner, one base. But in order for that one base to happen, the bases have to be occupied. So, from the runner on third base, it’s a judgment [call] that the ball would score the runner.
“It’s very similar to, for replay, when you go and they’ll determine if the ball didn’t leave the infield, the runner doesn’t have to advance. Again, luck, right? Never seen that in 30 years of the game.”
Each of those runners did go on to score later in the inning, which was partly why Gilbert and the Mariners weren’t exactly laughing this one off. That, and the fact that the first -- and most obvious -- question was whether he was OK.
While the umpires were conferring, Gilbert was examined by Mariners head athletic trainer Kyle Torgerson and manager Dan Wilson but remained in the game. He then gave up a sacrifice fly to Tyler Soderstrom in the next at-bat and a two-out single to Jeff McNeil before escaping the frame.
He revealed postgame that he was bruised on his stomach, and that he also had a cut under the palm of his pitching hand -- though he was unsure if that was caused by the comebacker. Regardless, there was some light bleeding.
“Well, it was early, so you can't come out in the first inning,” Gilbert said. “And it didn't start off great, so I was just trying to find a way to keep attacking. And they were swinging it pretty good, but I didn't want to shy away.”
Gilbert grinded through but lasted just four innings, his shortest start of the year, largely due to a pitch count that ballooned quickly and a bevy of hard contact. He surrendered six hits and two walks that led to three runs, with three strikeouts.
The play was reminiscent of when a ball got lodged in Yadier Molina's chest protector in 2017. He was just as confused as Gilbert before finding it smack in the middle of his torso.