Eckersley pitched Bates to an 0–2 ball–strike count when he hit the ball weakly to the third baseman and beat out an infield single; it was Bates' first hit against a right-handed pitcher in his MLB career.
In a game where Eckersley faced Bates with a 0-2 count, Bates managed to hit a weakly-hit ground ball to the third baseman, which allowed him to reach base safely for the first time against a right-handed pitcher during his MLB career.