Knowing the difficulty of hitting against Justin Verlander, last year’s American League Cy Young winner, the Cincinnati Reds tried to steal a run in the bottom of the first inning.
With runners on the corners, two outs and Nick Senzel in a two-strike, no-ball count, the Reds attempted a double steal. After Senzel watched a pitch out of the strike zone, Tyler Stephenson took off for second base. New York Mets rookie catcher Francisco Álvarez bluffed a throw to second to see if Jake Fraley strayed too far from third base.
As Álvarez held onto the ball, Stephenson paused between first and second base.