The pitch clock has been a huge success in the first two weeks of the 2023 MLB regular season. With the new rule, games are shorter and there is more movement, which is exactly what MLB wanted.
But during Friday's game between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a pretty big flaw in the system was found. Cody Bellinger went back to Los Angeles to play in the game.
Bellinger played for the Dodgers for the first six years of his career. In the summer, he signed with the Cubs. With the Dodgers, he was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player. Also, he helped them win the World Series in 2020.
Because of this, both the Dodgers and their fans wanted to thank Bellinger for coming back. Fans cheered for Bellinger before the game started, and he tipped his cap to the crowd to show how much he appreciated it.
When Bellinger was up to bat in the second inning, fans stood up and cheered again before he went into the batter's box.
He quickly thanked the crowd once more before getting ready to hit. At that point, the game was stopped, and Bellinger was charged with a pitch-clock penalty.
Even though Bellinger started the at-bat with one strike, he didn't seem too upset by what happened.
After six pitches, Bellinger hit the ball to first base. He went 1 for 4 and walked once. He also scored a run as the Cubs won 8-2.