Tanner Houck was having a great day against the Tampa Bay Rays before Wander Franco came to the plate in the top of the sixth inning. It was then that the Red Sox pitcher allowed a two-run home run that put the Rays up 3-1.
But since the game was at historic Fenway Park, Franco’s blast was subject to scrutiny at first. The ball hit off the top of the Green Monster and landed in the center field seats, so Franco stopped at second base while he waited for the umpires to instruct him. After they got together, they ruled that it was a home run thanks to Fenway Park’s ground rules.
And even though it’s laid out in the rule book, both manager and pitcher were awaiting the ruling as the officials conferred.
“They always talk about it when they talk about the rules … I’m like, ‘Yeah right, I’m never going to see that,'” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It happens. Now I’m looking for somebody to hit the ladder.”
Houck added: “I’ve never seen anything like that. But that’s what you get whenever you’re in a historical ballpark with all the nooks and crannies and the layout of the field. Something new with baseball every single day, I swear.”
Ah, the beauty of Fenway.
