In a bizarre turn of events during Sunday’s game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the St. Louis Cardinals, infielder Kiké Hernandez inadvertently tipped pitches to the Cardinals with some help from the ESPN broadcast.
During the top of the third inning, ESPN conducted an in-game interview with Hernandez, who was playing and covering third base at the time. As Hernandez answered questions and provided game commentary, he turned up the PitchCom speaker in his ear, which is used by players to receive signals from the coaching staff.
However, as Hernandez adjusted the volume on his PitchCom device, a new voice joined the broadcast, audibly announcing the upcoming pitches. The mysterious voice accurately predicted pitches such as “fastball, away” and “changeup,” coinciding with the actual pitches thrown by Dodgers pitcher Gavin Stone.
Despite the tipped pitches, the game continued without interruption, and the Cardinals managed to score a run on a Paul Goldschmidt RBI single. The Dodgers ultimately won the game 5-4.
While it’s unlikely that the Cardinals were able to take advantage of the situation due to the delay in the broadcast, the incident raised concerns about the potential impact of in-game interviews on the integrity of the game.
This unusual sequence of events highlights the unintended consequences of in-game interviews and the need for broadcasters and teams to ensure that sensitive information is not inadvertently shared during live broadcasts.