Confusing call in seventh inning gives Red Sox run in 2-1 loss to Blue Jays

TORONTO – There were 42,511 fans plus both teams, Major League Baseball officials, and ballpark staff at Rogers Centre on Monday and all of them were confused by one play in the seventh inning of the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

With two outs briefly appearing on the scoreboard, Boston outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela popped out to Blue Jays centre-fielder Brett Bateman, leading the Red Sox to believe the inning was over. However, Bateman correctly understood there was actually only one out and threw to first base, doubling off Boston shortstop Nick Sogard who had failed to tag up after the catch, to end the inning.

Because he thought the pop out to Bateman was going to end the top of the seventh, Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler ran home without tagging up at third. Home plate umpire Charlie Ramos initially waved off Seigler’s run, but after a lengthy review with MLB officials in New York City between the top and bottom of the inning, it was ruled in Boston’s favour, cutting Toronto’s lead to 2-1.

“That’s a timed play, meaning it’s not a force play. If it’s a force play, the run does not score automatically,” crew chief Chris Guccione told a pool reporter after the game. “If it’s a timed play, meaning ‘was the out made before or after the runner crossed home plate?’

“Well, in this case, being a time play, the runner crossed before the appeal play was made at first base.”

Guccione explained the Blue Jays had to enter an appeal on Seigler’s tag up at third before the half inning was over. Any half inning officially ends when the infielders cross the foul line to return to their dugout and the umpires said the Blue Jays infielders had already done that before there was any appeal made.

“Players and coaches and managers react to what is being said to them, right? So after consulting with MLB, they told me that all of my players were across the third-base line before Charlie waved off the run, which I 100 per cent disagree with,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider.

“I don’t know if (first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) is that fast after he got the ball at first, so we weren’t given an 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.”

Muddying the waters was who controls the scoreboards at Rogers Centre. 

The ribbon screens that wrap around the 300 level of the ballpark are controlled by the Blue Jays and are considered unofficial but the main screen over centre-field is tied directly to Major League Baseball’s official scoreboard.

Guccione said that although the scoreboards may have confused the Red Sox baserunners, it’s up to players and on-field umpires to keep track of the count at the plate and the number of outs.

“I didn’t even know that until an inning later that there was some confusion with the scoreboard,” said Guccione. “(The scoreboard) is more of a courtesy. It’s up to us on the field to know how many (outs there are) because the count could be wrong.

“That’s just kind of a courtesy for the fans and for everybody. It’s our responsibility as umpires to understand how many outs there are, the correct count, etc.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 10, 2026.