Skip to content

Astros prospect misses plate after HR, called out in embarrassing blunder

MiLB / Instagram

Houston Astros prospect Miguelangel Sierra forgot the first rule of baseball: always touch every base. Especially home plate.

Sierra, who plays for the Fayetteville Woodpeckers of the Single-A Carolina League, committed one of the most egregious baserunning mistakes in baseball history Wednesday. In the fifth inning of the Woodpeckers' playoff game against the Down East Wood Ducks, Sierra launched a home run over the left-field fence for what appeared to be his team's first run of the game.

But to make a home run official, one must touch home plate - and Sierra stepped right over it as he completed his trot.

Wood Ducks catcher Sam Huff and pitcher Sal Mendez - who was working on a no-hitter until Sierra's "homer" - immediately noticed the mistake and successfully appealed to the home-plate umpire, despite the Woodpeckers' protests.

Officially, the play went into the books as a triple for Sierra, with a 1-2 putout.

The embarrassing blunder ended up being costly for Fayetteville, which lost the seven-inning contest 3-0. Fayetteville did rebound later in the day, though, winning the second game of the playoff doubleheader to square the series at 1-1. Sierra did not play in the second game.

- With h/t to Yahoo Sports

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox