The Red Sox have spent the last month and a half finding ways to win games. On Monday night, they found themselves on the wrong side of one of the strangest sequences you’ll ever see on a baseball field.
And even after a 15-plus minute delay, it ultimately worked in the Sox favor, they couldn’t take advantage.
Boston’s offense remained stuck in neutral in a 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, extending its losing streak to three games for the first time since June 16-18, ironically, when Toronto swept the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
After scoring 25 runs across Thursday and Friday, the Red Sox have managed just seven over their last 27 innings.
But Monday’s game will be remembered for what unfolded in the seventh.
With Toronto leading 2-0, Anthony Seigler and Nick Sogard were on base with nobody out when Sogard hit a sharp grounder to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The first baseman fielded it and threw to second for the force, leaving Sogard at first and Seigler at third with one out.
The stadium video board and a press box announcement indicated there were two outs.
One pitch later, Ceddanne Rafaela lifted a fly ball to center. Both runners took off on contact, apparently believing there were already two outs. Seigler crossed the plate, while Sogard was eventually doubled off first to seemingly end the inning.
Then came the confusion for everyone and I mean everyone.
The umpiring crew met with both managers and eventually consulted with the league office in New York. After a delay of roughly 15 minutes, crew chief Chris Guccione announced that Seigler’s run counted because he crossed the plate before Sogard was retired.
After the white smoke emerged, the Sox had pulled within 2-1.
The official scoring: a sacrifice fly and RBI for Rafaela before an 8-4-3 double play.
The bizarre situation gave the Red Sox life, but they couldn’t do anything with it.
Boston had another opportunity in the eighth when Masataka Yoshida walked and pinch-runner Eli White stole second. With the tying run in scoring position, Tyler Rogers struck out Caleb Durbin to escape.
Jarren Duran, who entered the at-bat just 1-for-19 since homering Friday, ripped a leadoff double against All-Star closer Louis Varland in the ninth. Seigler moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, putting the tying run 90 feet away with one out.
But Andruw Monasterio struck out and Sogard grounded out to first, sending the sellout crowd of 42,511 home happy.
The lack of offense spoiled a relatively decent night from Sonny Gray.
Gray entered having struggled against Toronto this season, posting a 6.00 ERA in two previous starts, but delivered six innings of two-run ball Monday. He allowed six hits, walked one and struck out four, but fell to 14-3 with virtually no margin for error.
Toronto broke through in the fifth when rookie Charles McAdoo launched an opposite-field solo homer. The Blue Jays added another in the sixth after George Springer singled, stole second and raced home on Andrés Giménez’s single to right. Wilyer Abreu made a strong throw home, but the ball got away from Connor Wong as Springer scored.
On paper, Monday looked like an opportunity for Boston’s offense to get back on track.
Jameson Taillon entered with a 5.96 ERA overall and an 8.65 ERA over his previous eight starts between Chicago and Toronto. Instead, he held Boston to one hit over four scoreless innings before leaving with forearm discomfort.
Simeon Woods Richardson, who entered with a 6.40 ERA in 15 major league appearances this season, followed with three strong innings. Boston’s only run against him came courtesy of the bizarre seventh-inning sequence.
The Red Sox finished with six hits and five walks, but their recent offensive funk continued.
Duran’s ninth-inning double was an encouraging finish to a night he entered in a 1-for-19 skid. Willson Contreras went 0-for-3 with a walk and is now 4-for-22, while Wong’s 1-for-3 night left him 3-for-25 during his own rough stretch.
Wong also had an eventful night behind the plate. He successfully challenged three calls through the ABS system but allowed two stolen bases, including Springer’s in the sixth. He also provided a scare in the seventh when he made a diving catch on Nathan Lukes’ foul bunt and appeared dazed after getting to his feet. Wong remained in the game.
The Red Sox have now followed one of their hottest stretches of the season with their first three-game losing streak in nearly two months.
With the book closed on Monday, it doesn’t get any easier on Tuesday for the Sox.
All-Star Dylan Cease (7-5, 2.28 ERA), who threw a one-hitter at Fenway Park in his last start against Boston on July 25, will get the ball for Toronto. Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 3.38 ERA) will counter for the Red Sox.
The night is also expected to mark Adley Rutschman’s Red Sox debut, eight days after Boston acquired the three-time All-Star catcher from Baltimore at the trade deadline.
First pitch is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET.
