By The Daily Wire (World News) | Created at 2026-08-11 19:36:06 | Updated at 2026-08-11 20:43:40
6 hours ago
A scoreboard malfunction and bizarre tag-up sequence in Monday’s matchup between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays resulted in a ruling that puzzled everyone in the stadium.
After all the players believed that a fly ball to center field had resulted in the third out, the umpires determined after a long review that the Red Sox did, in fact, score based on the way the Blue Jays recorded the final out in the confusion.
The confusing play began when Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela was up to bat in the top of the seventh inning with runners on first and third base and one out. But the scoreboard in the stadium showed that there were two outs. Rafaela hit a routine fly ball to center field, and both runners left their bases, believing there were two outs. This allowed the Blue Jays to get a double play with an out at first base on the runner who didn’t tag up.
But the play became even stranger as the umpires huddled up before having a discussion with both teams’ managers.
Following a 15-minute delay, head umpire Chris Guccione began his clarification on the confusing sequence, stating, “Okay, so what we have here,” sounding just as perplexed as everyone involved. Guccione then announced that MLB officials in New York would be reviewing a “time play” in which the runner at third base may have crossed home plate before the third out — even though that runner also didn’t tag up.
The result of the review? The Red Sox scored a run after the officials in New York looked into the time play and ruled that the extremely uncommon “fourth out” rule could not be used because Blue Jays defenders left the field of play.
The runner on third scored before the third out was made at first base, counting it as a run because it was a time play. In order for the run not to count, the Blue Jays would have had to record the third out at third base.
Much of the confusion could have been prevented if the Blue Jays had been able to appeal the play, stating that the third base runner did not tag up, resulting in the elusive “fourth out.” However, Toronto’s fielders crossed over the foul line, leaving the field of play, meaning that they could no longer challenge the play, allowing the run to count.
The bizarre run was the only one for the Red Sox on Monday, as they fell to the Blue Jays 2-1.
Two of the most recent examples of the strange baseball phenomenon occurred in 2022 between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals, and in 2009 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
“Bizarre,” the announcers said on the broadcast after the ruling. “That’s as strange as it gets.”
