San Diego Padres 3B Strikes Out On A Pitch That Hit Him In The Shoulder And Face

San Diego Padres third baseman Graham Pauley had the most unfortunate at-bat of anyone in the MLB so far this season.

It was the top of the eighth inning in a 2-2 tie with the San Francisco Giants, their division rival. Pauley was the first guy up for the Padres, and he found himself in a 2-2 count.

On the next pitch, Tyler Rogers threw a rising fastball that was heading straight for Pauley’s collarbone. In defense, the third baseman swung at the incoming heater.

That’s when it all went sideways for him.

Grham Pauley (seen here in a game against the Cardinals earlier this month) had a rough day at the park. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

After foul tipping a pitch, the ball deflected off of Pauley’s bat and hit him right in the shoulder, bounced up to knock his helmet off, then brushed his face for good measure. Not ideal, but at least he stayed alive in the count.

At least, that’s what he thought. Home plate umpire Sean Barber saw it differently.

Barber thought Pauley completely whiffed on the pitch, so he called strike three (even if the ball hits you when you swing, it counts as a strike). He completely missed the fact that the third baseman did make contact, and therefore should have stayed alive.

Unfortunately, the MLB doesn’t allow for reviews on those types of plays. So not only did Pauley get incorrectly called for a strikeout, he got hit twice on two separate deflections by that pitch.

What a rough way to end an at-bat.

To make matters worse, Pauley went 0-3 at the plate, and had to watch the Giants win the game, 3-2, on a walk-off double by Thairo Estrada in the bottom of the ninth inning. That’s a tough day at the ballpark.