The White Sox and Orioles played at Camden Yards on May 31, 2025, when a runner attempted to initiate an obstruction call. In the bottom of the fourth, the O’s had Ryan O’Hearn on second when Coby Mayo singled to left field. Joshua Palacios fielded the ball and fired home. The ball was cut off by Jose Rojas. The Chicago third baseman then tossed to second baseman Lenyn Sosa placing Mayo in a rundown between first and second. During the rundown Mayo left his baseline and head-hunted Sosa to initiate the obstruction call. Contact was made between Mayo and Sosa that triggered a benches-clearing scene. Mayo was called out by first base umpire Adam Hamari when he was subsequently tagged, but interference was not called on Mayo, nor was obstruction called on Sosa.

Ruleball Comments

• Runners are taught that when in a rundown it is a good idea to attempt to pick-up the obstruction call by head-hunting a defensive player who doesn’t have possession of the ball, nor is in the act of receiving a throw.
• In most situations the defensive player is called for Type 1 obstruction and the runner is awarded the next base after the last base he touched.
• Seldom is the defensive player protected, but not so in the above play.
• During a rundown the runner’s restricted baseline is a straight line to the base he is going to, and the runner cannot exceed 3-feet to either side of the imaginary line. Each time the runner changes direction, his baseline also resets.
• Following the game, Mayo admitted to attempting to initiate the obstruction call. “Obviously, just trying to get to second base and trying to get into scoring position for Heston ,” said Mayo. “ it off and got into a rundown. Obviously, just being told in the minor leagues to try to stay in a rundown — and I thought he was in the baseline and trying to get some contact.”
• O’s interim manager Tony Mansolino said, “So, I think instinctually Coby sought out the contact right there with the infielder, which, visually, it probably didn’t look the best, but I think most coaches will probably go, ‘Not a bad baseball play.’Just didn’t work our favor. Umpire made a good call.”
• “I don’t think it was that big a deal,” said White Sox manager Will Venable. “Probably just Mayo trying to make a play and get an interference call and sure Sosa just didn’t appreciate getting run into intentionally, but, yeah, not a big deal.”
• It certainly was unusual that all parties in such plays agree with the umpire’s “no call” in such plays.
  And as stated, it is rare that Type 1 obstruction is not called in such plays even though the runner is guilty in these situations.
• Credit umpire Adam Hamari for not allowing Mayo to circumvent the rule. In my opinion, runner interference on Mayo could have been called but Hamari did not call Mayo out until he was tagged. Maybe

Hamari will set a new trend. But I still think it’s a good baseball play for a runner caught in a rundown and I would still endorse it because there are situations where a fielder is illegally in the path of the runner’s baseline.

Rich Marazzi
Rules consultant/analyst: Angels, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Rangers, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, YES, and Chicago Sports Network