Red Sox

‘I caught the ball’: A controversial call was at the heart of the Yankees’ win over the Red Sox

"I think they should get together and get a better call there."

By Hayden Bird

September 27, 2021

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The Patriots lost to the Saints at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, 28-13. Mac Jones and the New England offense struggled for most of the game, with the rookie throwing three interceptions.

Looking ahead to Week 4, it will be a return to New England for Tom Brady, whose Buccaneers will be in town to play the Patriots at 8:20 p.m. on Sunday night.

Elsewhere, the American team defeated their European rivals to win the Ryder Cup. And at TD Garden, Team Europe cruised to its fourth straight win over Team World in the Laver Cup.

Also on Sunday, the Yankees completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox with a 6-3 win at Fenway Park. Boston still currently holds the second American League wild card spot, leading Toronto by a game.

On Saturday, Boston College defeated Missouri in overtime, 41-34. Later that night, the Revolution set a new club record for points in a season with a 2-1 win over Orlando City.

Red Sox-Yankees controversy: Major League umpire Joe West, 68, said he plans to retire at the end of the season. West set the record earlier in 2021 for most games umpired in his lengthy career.

But West was a central figure in a controversy at one of the pivotal moments from Sunday’s 6-3 Yankees win over the Red Sox, as he allowed New York slugger Aaron Judge to prolong an at-bat that eventually proved critical.

With Boston leading in the top of the eighth inning 3-2, New York put two runners into scoring position. With Judge coming to the plate, Red Sox manager Alex Cora brought reliever Adam Ottavino in from the bullpen.

First, Ottavino got Judge to pop up into foul territory, but Boston first baseman Bobby Dalbec was unable to make the catch.

Later in the at-bat, with the count 1-2, Judge foul-tipped the ball into the glove of Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez for what appeared to be strike three (and a huge out for Boston).

But when transferring the ball from his glove to his throwing hand, Vázquez dropped it. West called it a foul ball, allowing the at-bat to continue.

“I thought I was going to be done on the first foul ball that dropped in foul territory then the one I foul-tipped and dropped behind the plate,” Judge told reporters after the game. “I felt like a cat. I felt like I had nine lives up there.”

The Yankee outfielder took advantage of his good fortune by ripping a double later in the at-bat, scoring a pair of runs. New York added two more in the inning and never looked back.

“I caught the ball. I dropped it on the transfer,” Vázquez said afterward. “That’s the first time that’s happened to me.”

Vázquez said that he asked the Red Sox dugout to challenge, but MLB rules don’t allow it in that particular situation. Still, the Boston catcher thought umpires could have made a better decision.

“Yeah, I think they should get together and get a better call there,” he admitted.

The Red Sox resume tomorrow with a three-game series in Baltimore against the Orioles. Boston will then close out the regular season with another three-game series against the Nationals.

With the win on Sunday, the Yankees overtook the Red Sox in the wild card standings.

The American League wild card race remains close. The Yankees now hold the top spot with the Red Sox second (trailing by a game). The Blue Jays are a game out, with the Mariners two games out (and the Athletics three games behind).

Trivia: Tom Brady was the first quarterback Bill Belichick drafted with the Patriots. Who was the second?

(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He was picked out of LSU in the fourth round of the 2002 draft.

More from Boston.com:

• ‘We weren’t as good an option as Tampa’: Bill Belichick on Tom Brady’s 2020 free agent choice
• Patriots loss to Saints was a rare debacle for Bill Belichick era, and other things we learned
• 4 takeaways as undisciplined Patriots fall to Saints
• ‘We don’t ever want to be in that situation’: Bill Belichick on how the Patriots’ game plan fell apart
• Here’s what Bill Belichick, Mac Jones said about facing Tom Brady next week
• James White injury: What Patriots said after RB was carted off field vs. Saints
• Red Sox fall 6-3 as Yankees take AL wild card lead
• Red Sox, Yankees delayed 4 minutes in 4th by Fenway fire alarm
• 3 takeaways from Bruins’ preseason win over Capitals
• Americans win Ryder Cup in a rout, send Europe a message
• ‘Multiple’ Celtics players reportedly have not received COVID-19 vaccine
• Patriots honor ‘tough as nails’ Julian Edelman during ceremony

Bill Belichick’s Monday press conference:

Justin Tucker’s record 66-yard field goal: With the last play of a wild Ravens-Lions game on Sunday, Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker launched an attempt at a 66-yard field goal to try and win the game.

The ball bounced off the crossbar and — after a lengthy dramatic pause — spun through the uprights. It set a new NFL record and won the game for the Ravens.

On this day: In 1905, Boston Americans pitcher Bill Dinneen threw a no-hitter in a 2-0 win over the White Sox in the first game of a doubleheader.

Dinneen, who would go on to have a lengthy career as an umpire after retiring from playing — including umpiring the first Major League All-Star Game in 1933 — had been instrumental in Boston’s winning effort over Pittsburgh during the first World Series in 1903 (tallying three wins during the series).

In the second game of the doubleheader, Chicago got its revenge. Notably, the White Sox beat Boston ace (and Hall of Famer) Cy Young, 15-1.

Daily highlight: The NFL had another attempt at a field goal longer than 60 yards on Sunday, but Cardinals kicker Matt Prater’s effort fell a few yards short. In response, Jaguars kick returner Jamal Agnew caught it (since the ball is live in that situation), and began running it back.

With Gus Johnson on the call, this is one of the early highlights of the 2021 season:

Trivia answer: Rohan Davey