via MLB

Two of the most basic rules in baseball go as follows:

1) Three strikes and the batter's out.

2) Four balls and the batter walks, taking a free trip to first base.

Apparently even at the major league level, these rules can be forgotten.

In the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto let a pitch from Washington Nationals pitcher Matt Grace pass by, putting the count at three balls and two strikes.

Votto casually jogged to first immediately following the pitch, and ended up scoring off an RBI double by Jay Bruce.

Once again, only three balls had been thrown.

Several minutes had passed since the beginning of the at-bat, while six total pitches were thrown. Perhaps the umpire, fans and even the dugouts were simply not game for the required attention to detail.

The Reds went on to win 8-2.