Angel Hernandez And Company Put On Quite A Show Last Night As They Were Checking Pitchers For Substances In The Middle Of A Downpour

Is this what we're going to be doing every inning now? No matter the weather or situation? It was pouring in Baltimore during the end of the Astros - Orioles game, I mean buckets of water. Mac Sceroler comes into the game with an ERA right around 16. 16!!!! His ERA can legally drive! They were trying to finish the game because the Astros had a combined no-hitter going and it was in the 8th inning but the rain was not letting up. So what do Ted Barrett and his home plate umpire, Angel Hernandez, do? Stop the game to check Sceroler for illegal substances on the mound while it is dumping in Baltimore. The look on Sceroler's face while he stood soaking wet in the rain getting his glove checked was classic. Is this really the time or place to do it? The Orioles were down 7-0, a guy with an ERA of 16 was on the mound and it was a monsoon in Baltimore. 

And then after they take a minute to check him and his glove and it's still pouring rain they let the game keep going. Puddles on the field, it looked like a lake out there. They let them play in this downpour for 10 minutes. This is what we're going to do with these substance checks? And in the middle of the rain? I don't get it, this doesn't make sense. You talk about speeding the game up and then you slow it down, you talk about player safety but you have guys playing in ankle high water. The field was basically unplayable because the umps just let this go on for 10 minutes after giving Sceroler a cavity search looking for a little bit of sticky stuff. If your ERA is over 15 you should be allowed to use whatever you want. This whole thing is a clown show, of course led by home plate umpire Angel Hernandez. I get wanting to let the game go because of the combined no-hitter which they ended up losing in the 8th, but if you let it go so long in the pouring rain that the field is unplayable and unsafe?  Why? That's just a joke. But lets still make sure we are checking every inch of a guy's body for spider tack. God bless Angel Hernandez.