{"id":775756,"date":"2026-08-11T09:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/775756\/"},"modified":"2026-08-11T09:39:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-11T09:39:14","slug":"red-sox-blue-jays-react-to-bizarre-mlb-rule-that-delayed-mondays-game","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/775756\/","title":{"rendered":"Red Sox, Blue Jays react to bizarre MLB rule that delayed Monday\u2019s game"},"content":{"rendered":"

Monday night\u2019s 2-1 Red Sox loss to the Blue Jays in Toronto included a delay of over 15 minutes for one of the most obscure scenarios possible<\/a> in a Major League Baseball game.<\/p>\n

The top of the seventh began more promisingly for the suddenly ice-cold Boston bats, as second baseman Anthony Seigler and catcher Connor Wong opened with back-to-back singles off reliever Simeon Woods Richardson. The go-ahead run came to the plate in the form of leadoff man and shortstop Nick Sogard, who scorched a low toward first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who fielded it on a short hop so subtle the official scorer initially announced a double play.<\/p>\n

In truth it was only a force-out that erased Wong at second. But the Rogers Centre scoreboard, controlled by MLB, showed two outs despite Sogard remaining on first base.<\/p>\n

As centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to Brett Bateman in center, the scoreboard corrected mid-play. Seigler and Sogard began to advance to home and second, respectively. Bateman then threw to second baseman Josh Smith, who flipped it to Guerrero for the double play, and the Blue Jays walked back to their dugout.<\/p>\n

At first it looked like an unacceptable mistake by Seigler and Sogard. But then the inning didn\u2019t turn over for more than 15 minutes. The umpires deliberated, then crew chief Chris Guccione, the game\u2019s third-base umpire, spoke separately with Blue Jays manager John Schneider and Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. Guccione then addressed the crowd of 42,511 and countless more confused viewers watching around the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cOK,\u201d Guccione began, as if bracing for a typhoon of bafflement and chaos. \u201cWhat we have here is we have a time play, meaning 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. So we\u2019re going to New York to do a rule check.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGoing to New York\u201d thankfully did not mean a group road trip over the board to the Big Apple. But it did mean several more minutes of waiting for clarity regarding Rule 5.09(c)(4).<\/p>\n

At last, Guccione delivered the verdict: \u201cAfter 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rafaela was credited with a sacrifice fly and an RBI.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the \u201cfourth out rule,\u201d and it ranks among the game\u2019s rarest rarities and oddest oddities. Throwing to third on an appeal after making the out at first would have negated Seigler\u2019s run. But Seigler had crossed home before the out on Sogard, and the Blue Jays subsequently left the field without asking for an appeal. The latter aspect is also detailed in Rule 5.09(c)(4):<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the purpose of this rule, the defensive team has \u2018left the field\u2019 when the pitcher and all infielders have left fair territory on their way to the bench or Clubhouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here are the postgame takes and explanations from the men themselves:<\/p>\n

Crew chief Chris Guccione<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this situation, we had one out,\u201d Guccione explained to a pool reporter. \u201cFly ball to the center fielder. Both Boston runners, thinking there were two outs, just took off. When the second out was made, now we have two runners that have failed to return and tag up correctly. At that time, the guy from third had crossed home plate and the guy at first was standing at second. Toronto knew that he hadn\u2019t tagged up and threw to first base to make the third out.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, that\u2019s a time play, meaning it\u2019s not a force play,\u201d Guccione continued. \u201cIf it\u2019s a force play, the run does not score automatically. If it\u2019s a time play, meaning \u2018Was the out made before or after the runner crossed home plate?\u2019 In this case, being a time play, the runner crossed (home) before the out was made. In this case, it\u2019s what you call \u2018an apparent fourth out.\u2019 In order for the run not to score, Toronto would have had to make an appeal at third base before the infielders left the infield. Once they left the infield, at that point, the run scores.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know that I\u2019ve seen it personally,\u201d said Tracy postgame. \u201cThey\u2019re very rare, but we saw one tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe umpires caught that,\u201d Tracy continued. \u201cAs he\u2019s coming off the field because he didn\u2019t tag a third, that they when they vacate the field, that if you don\u2019t appeal to third before the players are off the line, that the run counts, so we kind of got a break there. \u2026 They watched the play unfold, saw what the rule was, which is their right to invoke, and saw what had happened, and said \u2018That\u2019s going to be a run because there was no appeal at third.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Tracy said \u201cit was strange\u201d that so many people on both sides of the diamond got turned around by number of outs, or lack thereof. He clarified he knew there was one out, because he saw Guerrero\u2019s play, and saw his own leadoff man standing on first base.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously the ball was picked by Vladdy, I don\u2019t know if there was confusion \u2026 but Sogie\u2019s still at first, so we got to know there\u2019s one out, regardless of what\u2019s on the board or not,\u201d Tracy continued. \u201cIt was a weird, very weird situation \u2026 Both sides seemed to be confused on the outs.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blue Jays manager John Schneider<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore the out is recorded at first, the run counts,\u201d Schneider told reporters postgame. \u201cNow, if we had just thrown the ball to third instead of first, obviously different story. To my knowledge, Boston did not challenge the time play. The inning was deemed to be over. \u2026 Everyone assumed that that was that.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo we can appeal that, if we stayed on the field to appeal to third and then challenge the play where he didn\u2019t tag up, and that would\u2019ve negated the run. And no one was given that opportunity to do so, based on reaction from the four umpires, players, and yeah, it was confusing. First time for me.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think the rule is the rule, and it was just tough because they didn\u2019t challenge the play initially. It happened in the middle of an inning when (Jovani) Mor\u00e1n is coming in to warm up. And I think players just react \u2013 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 (home plate umpire Charlie Ramos) waved off the run, which I 100-percent disagree with. I don\u2019t know if (first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) is that fast, after he got the ball at first. So we weren\u2019t given the opportunity to appeal at third. And going forward, when that play happens again in the next 100 years, if it\u2019s us, we will record the lead out at third.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Sox\u2019 Nick Sogard<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, that\u2019s a weird one,\u201d Sogard said. \u201cYou gotta know the outs, that\u2019s where it starts. So there\u2019s no excuse there. You got to know the outs. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pressed about the fact that those in charge of the scoreboard didn\u2019t seem to know there was only one out, Sogard remained firm.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, like my personal routine, I always check the scoreboard between every pitch,\u201d he said, \u201cbut the scoreboard\u2019s been wrong dozens of times in my career, and I\u2019ve known the out. So, you gotta know the outs. That\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Incorrect scoreboards may be nothing new for the utility-man, but Monday\u2019s saga was a first.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only thing I could think to compare it to is I\u2019ve seen on sac flies when they go to like, appeal the base if another runner breaks to avoid that appeal occurring, I\u2019m assuming it\u2019s something similar to that,\u201d he said, \u201cbut I\u2019ve never seen something like that before.\u201d<\/p>\n

Red Sox\u2019 Anthony Seigler<\/p>\n

Seigler confirmed third-base coach Chad Epperson told him the correct number of outs when he reached the hot corner.<\/p>\n

\u201cLike Sogie said, we just got to know the outs right there,\u201d Seigler said. \u201cThe ball was hit, I saw\u2013 I looked up as it was going to the outfield. I looked at the scoreboard like, coincidentally, and saw two outs, so I just took off. But no excuse, no excuse there. No excuse there. It\u2019s unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

The incident was a first for Seigler, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cNever seen it, never heard of it,\u201d he said. \u201cBut like I said, we got to know how many outs there are. I do, I take full responsibility, because I mean, we could have been in a better situation. We still could have got that run and then produced off of that. So that\u2019s on me right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Blue Jays\u2019 Charles McAdoo<\/p>\n

\u201cIt didn\u2019t cross my mind until I walked into the dugout, remembering that the timing play exists,\u201d third baseman Charles McAdoo, whose fifth-inning home run gave the Blue Jays the lead, told Sportsnet\u2019s Hazel Mae postgame. \u201cAnd right when I walked in the dugout, I was like, \u2018Darn it, I missed it.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n

Sonny Gray<\/p>\n

Red Sox starter Sonny Gray summed up how everyone felt in one brief, terse answer:<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I didn\u2019t know what was happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

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