Last week the Reno Aces (the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Triple-A club) walked off the Rockies’ Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes, in one of the most bizarre endings you will ever see. Let’s set the scene. And, be forewarned, there is some real baseball rules wonkiness about to be described.

The Isotopes led the game 4-3 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. The first batter, Aramis Garcia, reached on a throwing error by Isotopes shortstop Ryan Ritter. At the major league level, the Rockies are far and away the worst defensive team measured by Defensive Runs Saved (-39).

Ritter made the next play, a slow roller, recording the out at first, moving Garcia into scoring position.

Cristian Pache then got hit by a pitch, putting the winning run on base.

Second baseman Andy Weber then singled to left to load the bases, putting the winning run in scoring position with one out. This is when the fun starts.

The next batter, catcher Connor Kaiser, laced a 3-2 pitch into the right centerfield gap. This seemed to be the game-winner. Garcia scored easily from third, tying the game at four. Pache, racing around third trying to score the winner, ran smack into teammate Ildemaro Vargas, who had run onto the field (with a phone, ostensibly to record the celebration) to meet the runner at home. Pache went down, got up, and tried to score. But the home plate umpire ruled Pache out due to base coach interference pursuant to Official Baseball Rule 6.01(a)(8).

That rule provides: “In the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists them in returning to or leaving third base or first base.” Interestingly, no third base coach was involved (it was a teammate wandering onto the field from the dugout) nor was there any “assist,” rather he knocked the runner down and did not help him back to his feet. Nonetheless, the umpire invoked the rule and took the tying run off the board, resulting in the second out for the Isotopes. At this point, it should have been a tie game with the batter standing on second base with two outs. But that would be too boring.

You see, center fielder Sam Hilliard ran down the liner at the wall, but knowing (assuming?) the game was over, casually flipped the ball into the stands to a young kid. They say no good deed goes unpunished. Well, it turns out that due to the interference call, the ball was still “live.” So, when Hilliard tossed the ball out of play, the umpires invoked Official Baseball Rule 5.06(b)(4)(G), which states: “Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes into the stands.”

Because Weber, who had been on first base, was past second when Hilliard engaged in his community relations, the umpires awarded him two bases, allowing him to score the winning run.

The Colorado Rockies had the worst record through 50 games (8-42) in MLB history, and they are 1-2 since then. It is Memorial Day Weekend and they have yet to win ten games. The Padres got to ten wins on April 9^th. The team is on a 28-win pace; said differently, they are on a 134-loss pace. That is way, way beyond the record of 121 losses set by the Chicago White Sox just last season. The team fired their hitting coach in April and their manager earlier this month. And yet, nothing has changed. They are 2-11 under interim manager Warren Schaeffer. Thus, it should not be shocking that their Triple-A affiliate is equally inept. It is one thing to blow a one-run save opportunity – that happens nearly every day. But to blow it because of an error, a hit by pitch, and then a former big leaguer tossing a live ball into the stands to end it on an obscure rule, is maybe too on-brand for this franchise that seems to be going nowhere and getting there fast.