But he didn't have those extra inches, and it seems like plays such as that one are starting to add up for the Red Sox, and they have the Sox in a tie with the Rays for the AL wild card.
The drop — which turned an inning-ending out into a three-run, inside-the-park homer — is hardly alone in unfortunate miscues that have cost the Sox games in the month of September.
There was the bizarre first inning on Saturday, which featured a pair of passed balls, a wild pitch and two bunt singles. In that same game, Mike Aviles didn't cover third base on a play where the Sox desperately needed an out, and the next batter hit a sinking liner that Carl Crawford misplayed. Had Crawford caught it, he would've been able to turn the easiest double play of his life; instead, two runs scored and Derek Jeter followed that with a home run.
The month started off on the wrong foot, too, with Josh Beckett's ankle giving out on him in Toronto. He left that game on Labor Day in the fourth inning and missed a start. Since then, he's 1-2 with a 6.52 ERA. He says he's healthy, but he was 12-5 with a 2.54 ERA before the injury.
There were a pair of outfield miscues at Fenway Park, too, that severely hurt the Red Sox. One came from Josh Reddick, who misjudged a liner to right and dropped what should have been the final out of the third inning. After the error, Erik Bedard walked two batters before giving up a two-run single to Mark Reynolds. With the bullpen already worn thin, Bedard couldn't make it out of the third inning, and the Sox eventually lost 7-5.
There were also a pair of mistakes by left fielder Darnell McDonald in that same series that proved costly. The sun played a factor in affecting McDonald, but the miscues led to a two-run double in the third inning, and the Sox eventually lost 6-5.
What was Red Sox' biggest unpredictable, unfortunate event this month?
