With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th inning, visiting and defensive team Albuquerque held a 4-3 lead over offensive team Reno. Reno batter Connor Kaiser hit a 3-2 fastball on a sharp line drive to Albuquerque center fielder Hilliard as Reno baserunner R3 Aramis Garcia scored from third base.
However, as runner R2 Cristian Pache rounded third, he collided with a teammate who had come off the bench to celebrate, and who tried getting Pache reoriented to score after the collision. HP Umpire Steven Hodgins called assist interference on the bench, declaring Cristian Pache out, but because Hodgins used the base coach interference rule (as opposed to actual hinder-or-impede interference for runners and retired/scored teammates), the ball remained live.
Mistakenly thinking the game was already over (perhaps unaware of Pache being ruled out), CF Hilliard then threw the live ball over the fence and out of play, resulting in a dead ball and two base award for trailing runner R1 Andy Weber, who had attained second base (if not third base) by the time of the throw. This meant Weber was awarded home, scoring Reno's 5th run to preserve the wacky walk-off win.
Hodgins ruled Pache out under base coach assist Official Baseball Rule 6.01(a)(8), which states it is interference when "(8) In the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists them in returning to or leaving third base or first base."
This brand of interference is treated differently than the usual runners or retired runners' interference rules, which result in an immediate dead ball. According to Wendelstedt Manual, the ball remains live on base coach assist interference, and the ball remaining live allowed the rest of the play to occur: "Following a coach’s interference, the assisted runner is out, but the ball remains alive. Other runners may make bases or outs" (Wendelstedt p. 159).
The two-base award in OBR 5.06(b)(4)(G): "Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes into the stands," is taken at time-of-throw (as opposed to time-of-pitch), so R1's position at the time of the throw (either 2nd or 3rd base) meant that R1 scored as a result of his two-base award.
Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Reno wins despite coach assist interference when defense throws ball out of play
