Astros' Smith walks after three missed swings on count error

Houston Astros right fielder Cam Smith swung and missed three straight pitches Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox but drew a walk when umpire Mark Wegner lost track of the count. The miscount occurred after a throwing error by Red Sox catcher Connor Wong on a stolen base attempt, which allowed a runner to score from third and made the score 6-1 Astros. Wegner later acknowledged he failed to register the second swinging strike, calling it 1-2 instead of strike three.

The plate appearance continued with Smith fouling off pitches, seeing balls and ultimately taking first base on the third ball of the actual count. Pitcher Brayan Bello asked the umpire about the count during the at-bat. Red Sox manager Alex Cora appeared unaware of the error in his postgame comments.

Wegner reviewed video after the game and told reporters he had never made such a mistake before. A 2019 video from the Secret Base YouTube channel documented at least 35 similar counting failures in MLB history, most in the 21st century. The game took place at Daikin Park in Houston, where the Astros defeated the Red Sox 9-2.

The error had little impact on the outcome.