BOSTON (AP) — Toronto’s Raimel Tapia hit an inside-the-park grand slam Friday night after Boston Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran lost the ball in the Fenway Park lights and didn’t hustle after it.
Tapia’s sprint around the bases highlighted a record scoring outburst for the Blue Jays, who surpassed the franchise mark for runs in a game with their 25th during the fifth inning. They led 27-5 after 7 1/2 innings, three runs shy of the modern major league record.
Tapia hit the second inside-the-park slam in Toronto’s history — both of them at Fenway. This one came as part of a seven-running inning.
With two outs in the third, Tapia lifted a two-out fly ball to center against reliever Austin Davis.
Duran took a couple steps back, then a couple in, then put up his hands in confusion. Fans groaned when the ball landed on the warning track behind him.
Duran walked slowly toward the ball while left fielder Alex Verdugo raced over, slid to scoop it up and fired it toward the infield. The relay home wasn’t close to nabbing Tapia, who picked up speed when he realized Duran had lost the ball.
The 25-year-old Duran, in his second major league season, came into the game in a 2-for-30 slump.
The Blue Jays beat Baltimore 24-10 on June 26, 1978 for what had been the club scoring record. John Mayberry homered twice and drive in seven in that game after entering as a pinch-hitter.
The modern MLB record for runs in a game is 30, set by the Texas Rangers against the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 22, 2007. The all-time mark is 36 for the Chicago Colts against the Louisville Colonels in 1897.
Boston’s record for runs allowed came in a 27-3 loss to Cleveland on July 7, 1923.
Junior Felix had Toronto’s previous inside-the-park slam on June 2, 1989 in Boston against Bob Stanley.
Danny Jansen had two home runs, and Matt Chapman and Teoscar Hernández also connected for the Blue Jays, who entered the day with a two-game lead over the Red Sox for the AL’s final wild-card spot.
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