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Everyone Forgot How Many Outs There Were in Red Sox-Blue Jays
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Confusion reigned for what felt like forever Monday after a bizarre play in the top of the seventh inning. A delay of more than 15 minutes led to the Boston Red Sox being awarded a run despite forgetting how many outs there were in their 2-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
You can watch it a million times and still not be 100% sure what happened.
To sum it up (if that's possible), the Red Sox had runners on first base and third base with one out. On the previous play, the scoreboard operator must have been unsure whether a diving snag by Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was a catch, because the Rogers Center scoreboard showed two outs. When Red Sox batter Ceddanne Rafaela lifted what should have been a run-scoring sacrifice fly to centerfielder, both runners instead took off.
After Anthony Seigler crossed home plate from third base, the Blue Jays appealed Nick Sogard leaving early at first base to end Boston's half of the inning.
All told, it shouldn't have been that complicated to sort out. Because the Blue Jays appealed Sogard at first, rather than Seigler at third, it became a timing play. But the way it was handled left everyone befuddled.
Following extended meetings with both managers, the umpires sent the matter to the review center in New York, where an even longer delay eventually correctly awarded Seigler's run to the Red Sox. Veteran umpire Chris Guccione didn't exactly come across as having a tight handle on the situation when he began his explanation with a sigh and an unsure, "OK, so ..."
In a pool report after the game, Guccione claimed the umpires and Blue Jays really, totally knew how many outs there were and that the umpires only got on the line with New York to clarify the ruling. That didn't look like the case, however, as the Blue Jays could be seen in replays walking off the field after the initial catch in centerfield. Plus, appealing a runner leaving early at a base besides third happens on Little League fields across the country every day, so that's not exactly an obscure rule.
Anyway, once everything got sort out, it was ruled correctly and the Red Sox were eventually handed the loss they deserved for being professional baseball players who can't keep track of outs.
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