Astros’ Cam Smith swung at strike three, then walked in bizarre mishap

The New York Times • April 1, 2026 • sports

Key Points:

During a fifth-inning plate appearance at Daikin Park, home-plate umpire Mark Wegner lost track of the count for Astros right fielder Cam Smith, allowing Smith to walk despite striking out on the first three pitches.
Wegner, a 26-year veteran umpire and crew chief, admitted the mistake, which he only realized after reviewing video post-game; Smith was unaware of the error until informed by teammates.
The confusion partly arose from a chaotic play involving Houston base runners and a misplay by the Red Sox defense, which distracted Wegner and led to an incorrect count being shown to pitcher Brayan Bello.
Neither players nor managers on the field alerted Wegner to the miscount, though MLB rules would have allowed him to consult the replay center to verify the count.
The incident resulted in Smith walking on just three balls, and Red Sox manager Alex Cora promptly removed Bello from the game following the at-bat.

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