A split second decision can sometimes be the deciding factor in a baseball game.
Trailing by a run going into the home half of the ninth, a bad base running mistake by Ryan Kalish cost the Red Sox the potential tying run in a 4-3 Blue Jays win on Saturday night at Fenway Park.
He singled with one out and tried to be aggressive with his secondary lead but Jose Molina picked a Kevin Gregg slider out of the dirt and nabbed Kalish at first by a wide margin.
Victor Martinez then followed with a triple off the wall in left centre but Gregg got Adrian Beltre on a ground ball to short to end it.
Gregg earned his 33rd save of the season, a career high.
Ricky Romero (13-9) lasted six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
Jose Bautista, John McDonald and Molina had the RBIs for Toronto (75-73). Travis Snider and Lyle Overbay had a pair of singles each and Adam Lind had two doubles.
McDonald started at second base for Aaron Hill, who is listed as day-to-day with a sore right wrist after being hit by John Lackey on Friday night.
Josh Beckett (5-5) went six innings, charged with four runs on 10 hits. He struck out four and walked two. In his last start against the Jays, Beckett allowed eight runs in three innings of work on April 26 at Rogers Centre. Becket has a lifetime ERA over 14.00 against Toronto.
David Ortiz and Jed Lowrie drove in the runs for Boston (82-66).
Beltre hit two doubles and now has 74 extra base hits this season, a Red Sox record for third baseman.
Tampa Bay rallied to win 4-3 against the Angles, pushing Boston 7 ½ games behind the Rays for the A.L wildcard.
A.L. home run leader adds one more
Bautista gave Toronto a 1-0 lead in the first when he launched a Beckett breaking pitch over the left-field fence and into the parking lot for his 49th blast of the year.
Boston tied the game in the second when Adrian Beltre doubled to right and came home when Ortiz singled to centre.
The Red Sox would load the bases with two outs but Romero fanned Marco Scutaro on a curve ball to close the inning.
Toronto took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Overbay singled and went to third on a ground rule double to right centre by Lind. Overbay scored when McDonald singled off the glove of a diving Beltre at third.
One out later, Travis Snider singled to load the bases but Fred Lewis’ ground ball forced Lind at home and Yunel Escobar bounced out to third to end the inning.
McDonald displays base running skills
Toronto took a 4-1 lead in the sixth on one hit, an error and some great base running by McDonald.
Lind doubled to lead off the inning and scored when McDonald chopped a ball to third where a charging Beltre threw the ball into the stands.
McDonald then scored from second on a sac bunt by Molina.
The ball hugged the first base line, forcing Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Beckett to go for it but nobody was covering home and McDonald scored without a throw.
Jays give back a pair of runs
Boston grabbed two runs back in the sixth on an extra base hit, a walk and a crucial wild pitch.
Beltre doubled and Ortiz followed with a walk. One out later, a wild pitch moved the runners up ninety feet and Lowrie drove in Beltre with a ground out to third. Ortiz then scored from third when McDonald threw wide of first on a J.D. Drew ground ball up the middle.