Cubs' Marcus Stroman commits MLB's 1st pitch-clock violation

Marcus Stroman committed baseball's first regular-season pitch-clock violation in the third inning of the Chicago Cubs' 4-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday on opening day.

Marcus Stroman is getting used to Major League Baseball's new pitch clock. And it's no small deal for the right-hander.

"It's tough, this pitch clock. It's a big adjustment," he said.

Stroman committed baseball's first regular-season pitch-clock violation in the third inning of the Chicago Cubs' 4-0 victory over Milwaukee on Thursday on opening day.

Stroman took a long look at rookie Brice Turang leading off second base with no outs and Christian Yelich batting at Wrigley Field. Just as Stroman turned his attention back to Yelich, plate umpire Ron Kulpa called the violation. Kulpa pointed to his wrist in announcing the call, and the automatic ball made it a 2-2 count against Yelich. Stroman didn't argue.

"You got to be looking at the clock. You're trying to worry about the pitch. You're trying to worry about the guys on base. You're trying to worry about your grip," Stroman said. "There's so many things going on now.

"So it definitely adds another layer to the game that's tough, to be honest with you. It's definitely not easy to be a pitcher out there and to feel rushed at times."

Several more violations followed on the first day of regular-season games since MLB introduced a slate of rules changes this season -- including a clock for a sport that famously existed for decades without any timers.