The Boston Red Sox lost 16-1 on Sunday to the New York Yankees in a game that decided the season series, and a no-catch call in the fifth inning really changed the game.
Following a single by José Caballero to start the bottom of the fifth inning, Jazz Chisholm hit a ball to center field. Ceddanne Rafaela came in fast to make a spectacular catch, but it was not ruled a catch on the field. Caballero advanced to second and Chisholm was on first. The Red Sox challenged the play, but the on-field ruling was upheld. Rafaela tweaked his neck on the play as well. It would have been the first out of the inning, but after recording one out, the Red Sox let five runs come across.
The replay showed that it was a close play, but if the call had gone the other way, there's a chance the game would not have gotten out of hand, and the Red Sox would have used their leverage bullpen the rest of the way, potentially changing the outcome of the game. Rafaela was confident he made the play, but the call on the field stood.
"I didn’t have to even watch it," Rafaela said after the game. "I know I made the catch. I know when a ball drops and a ball don’t drop. And I know I made the catch."
Rafaela is one of the best defenders in baseball and won a Gold Glove last year. He has a plus-15 outs above average this season and ranks in the 99th percentile for outs above average.
“It’s out of our control, but I was really mad in the moment,” said Rafaela. “I really wanted to help my pitcher there and I feel that changed the whole game right there.”
The play itself was very close, and it was announced that the call "stands."
"When you hear 'call stands,' not 'call confirmed,' that's a pretty good indicator that they're saying it's very difficult to see anything on video for us to overturn the call on the field," interim manager Chad Tracy said after the game, per The Boston Globe's Tim Healey.
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