G137: Padres 2, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 000 010 - 1  7  0
Padres  - 000 200 00x - 2  6  0

An apparently blown call by home plate umpire Tony Randazzo negated what should have been the Red Sox's game-tying run in the eighth inning. Instead, Boston lost, and remained one game behind the Blue Jays in the East.

Once San Diego starter Edwin Jackson (7-4-0-2-11, 103) left the game, the Red Sox's bats woke up against lefty Brad Hand. Pinch-hitter Chris Young (celebrating his 33rd birthday) smacked Hand's first pitch to deep left for a home run. Aaron Hill, another pinch-hitter, hit a drive to deep right-center. Right fielder Oswaldo Arcia leapt for it at the warning track; the ball hit off his glove and Arcia fell in the dirt. Dustin Pedroia grounded to short and Hill - the potential tying run - went to third.

Sandy Leon pinch-hit for Brock Holt. Leon had hacking on his mind and swung and missed a 2-2 pitch that was well inside and skipped past the catcher. Leon reached first without a throw and Hill scored, tying the game at 2-2. However, Randazzo ruled that the pitch had hit Leon's back foot and because he had swung, it was strike three - and Hill had to return to third.

I was watching the Padres' TV feed and their replay very clearly showed the ball hitting the ground before it glanced off Leon's foot. They showed the replay only once, but I believe Leon should have been awarded first base on the wild pitch and Hill should have scored. John Farrell wanted to challenge the call, but he had no challenges remaining. With Hill back on third, Xander Bogaerts struck out looking to end the inning. (After the game, John Farrell explained why he used Leon instead of David Ortiz in that situation.)

The Red Sox threatened again in the ninth against Padres closer Brandon Maurer. After Mookie Betts's fly ball was caught at the edge of the warning track in left, Hanley Ramirez reached first on a check-swing infield single that shortstop Luis Sardinas threw late and wildly to first. It was Ramirez's third hit of the afternoon. Jackie Bradley, whose double play had killed a potential seventh-inning rally, struck out. David Ortiz pinch-hit for Yoan Mocada, who had whiffed three times. Big Papi took a ball, hit a couple of high foul pops, then flied to center.

Drew Pomeranz's (5.2-6-2-2-5, 105) big problem was getting an inning's final out after retiring the first two batters. With two outs in the second, he issued a walk to Alex Dickerson and allowed a single to Adam Rosales. He escaped that jam, but could not escape in the fourth. Once again, he got the first two outs, then Dickerson singled and Rosales homered to left. In the sixth, he retired the first two batters, then gave up a double to Dickerson. This time, Heath Hembree came in and retired Rosales.

Boston had a chance to score in the fourth when, with one out, Holt singled and Bogaerts walked. But Betts flied to left and Ramirez struck out. In the seventh, Betts walked and Ramirez singled. Then Bradley grounded into a double play and Moncada fanned.

Drew Pomeranz / Edwin Jackson

Pedroia, 2B
Holt, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Betts, RF
Ramirez, 1B
Bradley, CF
Moncada, 3B
Holaday, C
Pomeranz, P

In the East: Blue Jays/Yankees and Orioles/Rays.

TOR ---
BOS 1.0
BAL 3.0
MFY 6.5