Overview
- The play unfolded during Monday night’s game at Rogers Centre when a grounder and a subsequent throw produced confusion about whether the inning had ended and whether a run crossed the plate.
- Umpires paused play and consulted MLB in New York for about 15–16 minutes while crew chief Chris Guccione sought clarification on the correct ruling.
- Officials applied Rule 5.09(c)(4), the obscure “apparent fourth out” appeal rule, and ruled the run valid because the runner from third crossed home before the actual third out at first was recorded.
- A scoreboard error that showed two outs and players leaving the field without completing an appeal were key human and operational factors that prevented Toronto from preserving the chance to appeal to third base.
- The decision did not change the result as the Blue Jays held on to win 2–1 and the episode revived rare precedents from 2009 and a 2016 minor-league game while raising questions about in-game procedure and scoreboard operations.