RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 2 sourcesHow MLB's 'Fourth Out' Rule Allowed Red Sox to Score Confusing Run vs. Blue Jays originally appeared on NESN .
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As one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last month, the Red Sox rolled into Toronto on Monday night to take on the Blue Jays.
In the end, Boston was handed its third straight loss, a 2-1 defeat despite a solid six-inning performance from Sonny Gray. The Red Sox nearly pulled off a late comeback, though — and one of MLB's strangest rules led to the team's lone run.
In the top of the seventh, players, managers and broadcasters were all left a bit confused as the league's "fourth out" rule came into play.
Here's a look at the wacky run the Red Sox scored against the Blue Jays, why it counted and more.
How confusing MLB 'fourth out' rule led to Red Sox run vs. Blue Jays
A series of two plays in the top of the seventh sparked the confusion.
First, with nobody out and runners on first and second, Nick Sogard hit a line drive to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base. Because the ball hit the ground, Guerrero threw to second base for a force out; Sogard reached first, while Anthony Seigler advanced to third on the play.
The scoreboard at the Rogers Centre counted it as a double play despite it only resulting in the first out of the inning, and the players on the field appeared to also think there were two outs.
Then, Ceddanne Rafaela flew out to center field, the second out of the inning. But because the baserunners thought there were already two outs, they were sprinting around the bases without tagging up, assuming the inning would be over.
Eventually, however, the Blue Jays got the ball to first base, and Sogard was called out for failing to tag up. The other Red Sox baserunner, Seigler, ran all the way home before Sogard was called out at first.
A broken scoreboard in Toronto caused the Red Sox and Blue Jays to lose track of the outs in the seventh inning Umpires called for a rules check on a "time play", then allowed the runner on third to score despite not having tagged up due to the "fourth out rule" pic.twitter.com/dyqxbfeABX
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) August 11, 2026 With the added confusion of baserunners and fielders having the incorrect amount of outs, eventually, crew chief Chris Guccione explained why Boston's run would count despite Seigler not tagging up.
"What we have here is we have a time play, meaning when the third out was made at first base with the runner not tagging up, the runner that was on third base also did not tag but crossed home plate before the third out was made at first base," Guccione said. "So we're going to New York to do a rules check. ...
"After calling New York and getting it all straightened out, the run is going to score. End of the inning. Two runs for Toronto, one run for Boston."
The "time play" aspect of the play is what ultimately allowed the Red Sox to get on the board. Essentially, MLB has a rule that states that when an appeal play takes place on an inning-ending play, such as Sogard being thrown out at first base, "The appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out."
Guccione explained postgame that the out at first base was a "time play" rather than a force play because Seigler crossed home plate prior to Sogard being out.
"Both Boston runners, thinking there were two outs, just took off," Guccione told a pool reporter following the game, per MLB.com . "When the second out was made, now we have two runners who have failed to return and tag up correctly. At that time, the guy from third had crossed home plate and the guy who was at first was standing at second. Toronto knew he hadn't tagged up and threw to first base to make the third out. Well, that's a time play, meaning it's not a force play.
"If it's a force play, the run does not score automatically. If it's a time play — meaning, 'Was the out made before or after the runner crossed home plate?' — in this case, the runner crossed before the appeal play was made [at first]. In this play, it's what you call an apparent fourth out."
Additionally, because Toronto's fielders had left the field of play — which is considered past the third-base line, walking to the dugout — the team was unable to appeal to third base, which would have been necessary to prevent the Boston runner from scoring.
"It didn't cross my mind until I walked into the dugout, remembering that the timing play exists," third baseman Charles McAdoo said, per MLB.com . "And that was a situation where it came into play. And right when I walked in the dugout, I was like, 'Darn it, I missed it.'"
Both managers addressed the play postgame; Chad Tracy called it a "very weird situation," while John Schneider disagreed with the decision about the third-base appeal.
"They told me that all of my players were across the third-base line before [home-plate umpire] Charlie [Ramos] waves off the run, which I 100 percent disagree with. I don't know if Vlad is that fast after he got the ball at first," Schneider said, per MLB.com .
"We weren't given the opportunity to appeal to third. Going forward, when that play happens again in the next 100 years, if it's us, we will record the lead out at third. That's the best I got."
What is MLB's 'fourth out' rule?
MLB's "fourth out" rule is Rule 5.09©(4) , which states that, when an appeal play takes place on an inning-ending play, "The appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out."
"Appeal plays may require an umpire to recognize an apparent 'fourth out,'" the rule states. "If the third out is made during a play in which an ap...
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