The most consequential ABS challenge of the season had the crowd in a tizzy Tuesday night.
Reds fans were treated to a wild moment in the ninth inning with Cincinnati ahead, 7-2, when a 1-2 pitch from lefty reliever Brock Burke on the outside corner to lefty batter Edouard Julien was called a ball.
The Reds had struck out 10 Rockies hitters at that point, with the elusive 11th strikeout worthy of free pizza from local pizzeria, LaRosa’s.
Burke’s pitch was initially called a ball by home plate umpire Carlos Torres before Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson tapped the top of his helmet to challenge the call.
“Stevenson has won one tonight, can he win pizza for those in the stands?” Reds play-by-play commentator, John Sadak, said on the broadcast.
“The crowd ready to burst. That’s a strike! He does it for everybody! He does it for the people.”
The camera then hilariously panned to the crowd of 24,152 giving a standing ovation to the battery for the accomplishment.
All fans who attended the game are now eligible to head to a Larosa’s pizza to snag a free small one-topping pizza.
The Reds (19-10) secured the victory two batters later, achieving a 12th strikeout when Burke pumped a 99-mph fastball by catcher Hunter Goodman for the game’s final out as the Rockies went down quietly.
The same cannot be said for the fans, who erupted in perhaps their loudest cheer of the night for the pizza while also enjoying the Reds maintaining their lead in the National League Central.
Phenom pitcher Chase Burns struck out nine in six strong innings of two-run ball to earn the win, and the teams meet against Wednesday in the second matchup of the three-game series.