No Umps When Orioles & Pirates Play Unneeded Bottom Of 9th

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) – There was no umpire behind the plate calling balls and strikes when the Baltimore Orioles and Pittsburgh Pirates kept playing Tuesday. There wasn’t even one of those so-called robo umps that could become part of the game in the future. The umpires were done with their day’s work after Baltimore’s Josh Lester grounded out to end the top of the ninth inning with the Orioles trailing 7-4, officially ending the spring training contest in Florida on Tuesday. But the teams decided to play the bottom of the ninth anyway, with Orioles catcher Maverick Handley calling the balls and strikes.