Eagle-eyed fan catches Yankees likely relaying signs in massive rally vs. Padres

There's nothing illegal — or even frowned-upon — about relaying signs to hitters from your perch at second base. If a team has figured out a pitcher's patterns or deciphered a catcher's signals, they have every right to spread the word (as long as they didn't obtain the info via technological snooping or anything beyond the bounds of on-field ingenuity). Knowing what we know about the way people hate the Yankees, though, those realities won't absolve New York of criticism for the way the seventh inning unfolded against Wandy Peralta on Tuesday.

Peralta, a Yankee from 2021-2023, may have underestimated exactly how predictable he really was when he entered Tuesday's tie game. He also did himself no favors, walking the first hitter he faced with the bases loaded, and not coming particularly close to the plate while doing so.

Still, as the disastrous 10-run inning dragged on for the Padres, Peralta's effectiveness only receded further, perhaps egged on by the Yankees picking up on his grips along the way.

One Twitter user caught Cody Bellinger on second base, more than likely signaling to batter Austin Wells what pitches he could expect; Wells ultimately launched a grand slam, sending Peralta to the pasture with a 12-3 deficit that tipped the series.

Yankees' Cody Bellinger likely had Wandy Peralta's pitches in rally vs. San Diego Padres

It's tougher than ever in the age of PitchCom to pick up on catchers' inclinations, and no, there is no way Bellinger and the Yankees "overheard PitchCom," as was speculated by a number of weasels in this thread. It's likely that the Yankees entered the game with a suspicion about Peralta's tells from their time sharing a clubhouse, quickly saw what they were hoping to from his grip/setup/etc., and pounced.

You still have to hit the ball, though, and Peralta did not cover himself in glory with the command issues he entered with. All told, it was a perfect recipe for disaster for the Padres, who hadn't yet lost a game in which they carried a lead after seven frames when Peralta sauntered to the mound.

He graciously flipped the lead before the seventh ended in order to keep that statistic unblemished, but the Yankees still erased the zero and turned it into a one before the end of the series, coming back from 3-1 down in the eighth inning to triumph in extras. Who knows if Jason Adam was tipping, too?