Toronto Blue Jays’ manager discusses confusing seventh-inning call against Red Sox

By Liam Tremblay — 11 August 2026 — 4 min read

Confusing Call in Toronto

A recent game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on Monday left many of the 42,511 fans, along with team officials and staff, confused by a play in the seventh inning. The incident occurred during the Blue Jays’ 2-1 victory over the Red Sox. The confusion centred on whether a run should have been awarded to Boston after a perceived third out.

During the top of the seventh inning, Boston outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela hit a pop out to Blue Jays centre-fielder Brett Bateman. The scoreboard briefly indicated two outs, leading the Red Sox to believe the inning was over. However, Bateman correctly recognized there was only one out. He then threw to first base, resulting in a double play against Boston shortstop Nick Sogard, who had not tagged up after the catch, effectively ending the inning.

The situation became more complicated when Red Sox second baseman Anthony Seigler ran home without tagging up at third base, assuming the pop out to Bateman was the third out of the inning. Home plate umpire Charlie Ramos initially waved off Seigler’s run. However, following an extensive review with Major League Baseball officials in New York City between the top and bottom of the inning, the decision was reversed in Boston’s favour, reducing Toronto’s lead to 2-1.

Umpire and Manager Explanations

Crew chief Chris Guccione addressed the media after the game, explaining that the play was a “timed play.” He clarified that in a timed play, the crucial factor is whether the runner crossed home plate before or after the out was made. In this specific instance, Guccione stated that the runner crossed home plate before the appeal play was made at first base.

Guccione further explained that the Blue Jays needed to appeal Seigler’s failure to tag up at third base before the half-inning officially concluded. According to the umpires, the Blue Jays infielders had already crossed the foul line to return to their dugout before any appeal was made, which officially ends the half-inning.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed his disagreement with this assessment. He stated that after consulting with MLB, he was informed that all his players were across the third-base line before umpire Charlie Ramos waved off the run. Schneider strongly disagreed with this information, noting, “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.”

Schneider also indicated that the team would adjust its strategy for similar future situations, stating, “Going forward when that play happens again in the next 100 years, if it’s us, we will record the lead out at third.” He also commented on the suggestion that he should have been ejected, acknowledging the point but suggesting he was processing the unusual situation.

Scoreboard Confusion and Rules

The situation was further complicated by the scoreboards at Rogers Centre. The ribbon screens around the 300 level of the ballpark are controlled by the Blue Jays and are considered unofficial. In contrast, the main screen above centre-field is directly linked to Major League Baseball’s official scoreboard, which briefly showed two outs.

Guccione acknowledged that the scoreboards might have contributed to the confusion among the Red Sox baserunners. However, he emphasized that it is the responsibility of the players and on-field umpires to keep track of the count at the plate and the number of outs. He mentioned that he was unaware of the scoreboard confusion until an inning later, clarifying that the scoreboard is primarily a courtesy.

Regarding the rules, it was noted that “playing under protest” is no longer permitted in baseball. As of the 2021 season, Rule 7.04 in the Official Baseball Rules was amended to state that protesting a game is not allowed, regardless of whether the complaint is based on umpire judgment or an alleged misapplication of rules. This change means that teams cannot formally protest a game’s outcome based on such decisions.

The unusual nature of the play led to discussions about how rules should apply when runs are awarded after an inning has seemingly ended. One perspective suggests that if a run can be given 10 minutes after an inning, then an appeal should also be allowed within that timeframe. Another viewpoint proposes a rule that once players leave the field, no changes should be made to the scoreboard. The Blue Jays ultimately secured a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Source: bluebirdbanter.com