Cal Raleigh frustrated with himself after not challenging late strikeout in close loss: 'You learn from it'
Cal Raleigh struck out in a big moment Thursday, but could have altered the outcome of the at-bat.
MLB’s rollout of the automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system has been a long time coming, but there’s going to be an adjustment period for some players. Seattle Mariners star Cal Raleigh is among those who needed a game to get used to the new technology, as he failed to challenge a key call late in the Mariners’ 6-4 loss on Opening Day. The call came in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With the Mariners trailing by a run, Raleigh was called out on strikes on a slider well outside the zone. While Raleigh had the option to challenge the pitch, he declined to do it. After the game, he said he regretted that decision.
Cal Raleigh was pretty upset with himself for not challenging this pitch: “Looking back, yeah, I should’ve done it. I didn’t think it was that far off. It was off.
But it is what it is. You learn from it. I’m sure we’ll get more accustomed to it as the year goes on.