ANAHEIM, Calif. — For the second straight game, Red Sox manager Alex Cora disputed an umpiring call at second base. Also for the second straight game, it resulted in him being ejected.
In the fifth inning of a 9-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, Abraham Toro was thrown out trying to advance to second base on a fielder’s choice. Jarren Duran, who had led off with a double, oddly tried to take third on a grounder to short hit by Toro.
While Duran was caught — and eventually tagged out — in a rundown between second and third. Toro tried to move up to second. But Angels third baseman Luis Rengifo, scrambling to cover second, took a throw and tagged out Toro for the second out.
The Red Sox contended that Rengifo was blocking Toro’s access to the bag with his leg. Cora came out of the dugout to argue the call, citing a play from last year — ironically, involving the very same umpiring crew, with crew chief Alan Porter, Monday’s second base umpire.
“Our point of view was that he was blocking the bag at second,” said Cora. “I guess the rule that if (the baserunner) is going to be out easy, they can do that. We had a similar situation last year, with the same crew. It was (Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron) Buxton at second base. (We) blocked the bag, he was called safe. Rocco (Baldelli) argued and Alan reversed the call.
“That was my whole point. I was trying to make that point. Like, it happened (nine) months ago, same situation and it was reversed last year. Maybe he’s right, he was going to be safe. I wanted to make sure. I didn’t agree with it.”
The umpires conferred for a while on the field and decided the original out call was going to stand. At that point, Cora sprinted from the dugout and argued vociferously with Porter, earning his second ejection in the last two days and fourth of the year.
At one point, Cora appeared to have made contact with Porter.
“We felt that the runner, no matter what the fielder had done in that situation, the runner was out,,” said Porter to a pool reporter after the game. “He was out by a lot. And that’s part of also not calling obstruction….We considered that he just out, regardless of what the fielder did.”
When Porter was asked about Cora making physical contact with him, he responded: “All that stuff will be in my report. The (commissioners) office will take care of that stuff.”
On Sunday in San Francisco, Cora was run by second base umpire Doug Eddings for a call at second in which Jarren Duran slid past the bag, but appeared to have touched it in time with his fingertips before being tagged out. The Red Sox challenged the call, which stood upon review and Cora argued before being tossed.
