The 7-2 final score might not indicate that one run would have made a difference, but a first-inning play in which a pair of young Red Sox took advantage of the Orioles and the rules loomed large in Monday's matinee at Camden Yards.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts chopped a ball off the instep of his front foot, but alertly ran to first base and made the Orioles make a play on it. Pitcher Tyler Wilson came for the ball, but was called off by catcher Caleb Joseph, who eventually corralled the ball and threw Bogaerts out at first.
Right fielder Mookie Betts moved from second to third on the play, and Wilson wasn't close enough to home plate to cover after trying to avoid colliding with Joseph. The first run of the game scored.
"That's good, heads-up base-running by Betts, but that's an opportunity to make a difference in the game, too," Wilson said. "If I get to home, it just looks a little different and they don't score there, it's 2-2 in the seventh rather than 3-2. I thought it was an outstanding play by him. Whether it was a foul ball or not, I'm not certain."
Because Bogaerts ran, the umpires had no reason to think he'd fouled the ball off his foot. When the Orioles saw a replay and tried to challenge, they were told they weren't allowed to. The replay rules state that fair-foul calls cannot be challenged if the play takes place in front of where the first- and third-base umpires are stationed on the play, essentially meaning anywhere in the infield, the call is final on such a play.
Manager Buck Showalter relayed the explanation he got, which may have been more the spirit than the letter of the law.
He said: "The reason is that if you do the reverse of that, where do you place the runners? Where he doesn't run, now they go back. Do they call back and say they challenged and bring him back to home plate? If you do the reversal of it is the reason they give about why they don't challenge it."
When he was given a quizzical look from a media member, Showalter said, "yeah, I gave him the same look you're giving right now.
"I was hoping the first base ump would see it, but it's hard. We can't see it from the dugout and we're closer than the first base umpire for sure. Usually the hitter gives you a reaction that shows you what's going on but he didn't. He smelled a hit and took off. Made good use of the play. We were able to overturn a couple other mistakes, but we couldn't overturn that one."
The other mistakes included a call at first base in the third inning, and a stolen base call in the seventh inning, both of which were ruled safe but changed to outs after challenges by the Orioles.
So looking at it that way, the Orioles got a bit of justice from the process. For Bogaerts, it was a bit of justice from a similar play that went against him against the Orioles in Boston last September.
"I remember it happened to me against the Orioles last year. Kevin Gausman was pitching and I swung at a ball and it hit me off my foot and I just stood there. Manny Machado threw to first and got me out," Bogaerts said. "The only reason I ran was because of what happened before. We were able to get the call our way and we got a big RBI run out of it so I was happy that happened."