When the Cincinnati Reds were trailing by five runs with two outs in the bottom of the third inning on Monday, second baseman Jonathan India fouled off a sinker on the left edge of the strike zone. With a full count, India got a piece of what would have been strike three, and then he earned a walk when the next pitch landed outside the strike zone.
Without India’s walk, shortstop Kyle Farmer doesn’t get the chance to single on the seventh pitch of his at-bat. Then Nick Castellanos wouldn’t have got the chance to knock them both in with a double. And then first baseman Joey Votto wouldn’t have been able to get the Reds back in the game with his first of two homers on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
