16-minute delay in Sox-Jays leads to belated run

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. While there was only one out when Ceddanne Rafaela hit a fly ball to center field in the seventh inning, the scoreboard showed two outs. The ball was still in the air when Seigler headed toward the plate and Nick Sogard took off from first base. 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 bizarre play and then spoke with both managers. "What we have here is we have a time play," crew chief Chris Guccione said on the field, "meaning when 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're going to New York to do a rules check." Guccione conferred with MLB's replay center for the rules check, then circled back with a second announcement to the crowd at Rogers Centre. "After calling New York and getting it all straightened out, the run is going to score," he said. "End of the inning. Two runs for Toronto, one run for Boston." Because Seigler crossed home plate before Sogard was called out at first, and Toronto never appealed the runner leaving third base early, the run was awarded to the Red Sox -- 16 minutes later. The rule in question is 5.09(c)(4): "Appeal plays may require an umpire to recognize an apparent 'fourth out,'" the rule states. "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.'" Even some Blue Jays appeared to think the catch by center fielder Brett Batemen was the third out of the inning. Toronto reliever Simeon Woods Richardson and catcher Brandon Valenzuela both turned their back to the play and were going to the dugout even before second baseman Josh Smith got the ball from Bateman and threw to first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. "Yeah, it was strange," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. "I think, you know, obviously the ball was picked by Vlad. I don't know if there was confusion, but (Sogard) is still at first, so we gotta know there's one out regardless of what's on the (scoreboard) or not. But at this point, yes, it was a weird, very weird situation where players on both sides seemed to be confused on the outs." Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.