In rough start, Richards rescued by 20-pitch mercy rule

[ASFN Admin]

Garrett Richards had gotten only one out during his first spring training start, loading the bases and walking in one run before the Red Sox stopped the inning after 23 pitches. “It’s building blocks man,” he said after being rescued by the new rule this spring training that allows managers to end an inning after a pitcher has thrown 20 pitches, regardless of how many outs or runners on base there are. Richards told reporters from Fort Myers, Florida, that his pitches were moving well, but he just struggled to keep them in the strike zone.

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