Bizarre play, rules check leads to lengthy Red Sox-Jays delay - ESPN

TORONTO — Anthony Seigler scored from third base on a sacrifice fly Monday night — without ever tagging up.

Needless to say, that left everyone in Toronto a little confused.

Seigler scored Boston's only run in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays on a chaotic, inning-ending double play that resulted in a 16-minute delay trying to sort out the whole thing.

It all unfolded with no outs and runners on first and second in the seventh inning.

Boston's Nick Sogard hit a liner to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. that the Toronto first baseman picked off the ground and threw to shortstop Andres Gimenez at second for the force out.

But while there was only one out, Ceddanne Rafaela came up next and hit a fly ball to center field with the scoreboard showing two. The ball was still in the air when Seigler headed toward the plate from third base and Sogard took off from first.

Appeal plays may require an umpire to recognize an apparent «fourth out.» If the third out is made during a play in which an appeal play is sustained on another runner, the appeal play decision takes precedence in determining the out. If there is more than one appeal during a play that ends a half-inning, the defense may elect to take the out that gives it the advantage. For the purpose of this rule, the defensive team has «left the field» when the pitcher and all infielders have left fair territory on their way to the bench or Clubhouse.

When the ball was caught and the Blue Jays eventually tossed it to first to double up Sogard, that was the third out and it appeared Toronto still led 2-0 as players headed to the dugout.

That's when the umpires started discussing the play and then spoke with both managers.

«What we have here is we have a time play,» crew chief Chris Guccione