Pirates' Joey Bart May Have ABS Magic Touch

Joey Bart is the Master of ABS

ABS stands for Automated Ball-Strike, which allows players to challenge a pitch for a ball or a strike, with pitchers, catcher and position players able to do so.

Teams get two challenges per game and one extra if it goes to extra innings, but a challenge that is unsuccessful is taken away, which made both challenges crucial for the Pirates.

Bart said postgame that since it was the same pitch, he had an idea they were in the right spot to make the call and that he was happy it ended up working out.

“It was the same pitch." Bart said. "The hardest one to call for an AB is a backup curveball up and in, it’s the hardest one to hit. It’s the best pitch in the game. The first one landed there, I thought it was there. I think it was the same thing again, I ripped it again and luckily in those situations we can come out with those challenges.

"Always in those challenges, the bigger the situation you are always trying to pull a challenge there, regardless. If you think it’s close, you kind of rip it there just because there is so much momentum swinging in the game late. I’m glad they were in the zone.”

It was a great outing for Bart and Ashcraft, who threw 7.2 scoreless innings and posted six strikeouts, helping the Pirates get a chance in the bottom of half of the inning to get the close, 1-0 victory.

Those ABS challenges ended up working well for the Pirates, who now sit 19th with a 58.6% challenge success rate from their catchers, with Bart and Henry Davis taking those responsibilities.

All Pirates players have the trust from their manager to go out and make those decisions and Bart clearly made the right calls in this one.

“I think you kinda just know," Bart said on making those challenges. "It hits you quick, trust your gut and go with it. The times you kind of wait and think about it are the times you might not know, but I was pretty confident in those two.”