Reds manager Dusty Baker declined to start Billy Hamilton again Monday after his three-hit day Sunday, instead reserving him for pinch-running duties. When he did go to him in the eighth, it produced a memorable sequence.
Hamilton pinch-ran for Ryan Hanigan with two outs and none on in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth versus the Mets. Being that there were two outs, Hamilton wasted absolutely no time in trying to take second. He didn’t fool the Mets, either. Or not some of them, anyway. Catcher Travis d’Arnaud called for the pitchout on the first pitch with Frank Francisco on the mound. Francisco, apparently having his signals crossed, threw a fastball right down main street as Hamilton was taking off. D’Arnaud couldn’t snare it and Chris Heisey let the pitch go, so it ended up hitting umpire Tony Randazzo right in the chest.
That was fortunate, because Hamilton probably would have ended up on third had the ball missed the ump or deflected off to the side. As is, he was left stranded on second after Heisey struck out. Fortunately for the Mets, that marked the end of his night in the tie game.