\n\tRaimel Tapia slides home safely for an inside-the-park grand slam. Brian Fluharty\/Getty Images<\/em>\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/header>\nIt was the kind of play you might see in a Little League game, or perhaps a rec softball game, but one you’d never, ever expect to see in a Major League game. <\/p>\n
A play so shocking and stupefying that you wouldn’t believe a friend at a bar if they told you what happened. You’d need to watch the video several times to make sure you saw it correctly.<\/p>\n \n
With two outs in the third inning Friday, and the bases juiced, Blue Jays center fielder Raimel Tapia swung at an Austin Davis slider and lofted it to center field. Tapia slumped his shoulders and dejectedly drooped toward the ground, convinced he had flown out. <\/p>\n
He started running, just in case, and suddenly he realized Red Sox center fielder Jarren Duran had absolutely no clue where the ball was. None at all. Standing stood on the grass with his palms facing skyward, dazed and confused as the ball soared over his head and landed 30 feet behind him on the warning track. Once he saw it, he stood totally frozen and barely moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s the most helpless feeling you could ever feel,\u201d Duran said. \u201cUntil you guys catch a fly ball in twilight, let me know.\u201d<\/p>\n \n
The leadoff hitter Tapia, now fully aware of what was unfolding, started sprinting. He lost his helmet near second base, rounded third on a mission, and belly-flopped onto home plate for an inside-the-park grand slam to highlight an appalling 28-5 Blue Jays beatdown at Fenway Park. <\/p>\n
It was the lowest lowlight for the Red Sox in a night that featured plenty. The 28 runs is a franchise record \u2014 not the good kind, and one that stood 99 years \u2014 as they looked lost and out of sorts the entire way.<\/p>\n
Duran’s miscue loomed large.<\/strong><\/h3>\nThis was just the third inside-the-park grand slam this millennium and the second time a Blue Jay has ever hit one. The other was Junior Felix, in 1989, also at Fenway Park. <\/p>\n
Afterward, Duran blamed the twilight, and manager Alex Cora said he doesn’t believe Duran ever saw it. Duran said he didn’t chase after the ball because Alex Verdugo was already going after it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI mean, Dugie was right there already,\u201d Duran said. \u201cObviously I should have taken a step or two, but he was already going to beat me to the ball. I just didn’t want to get in his way. What if I sprinted to it and collided with him or something like that? Next time I know to take one or two steps.\u201d<\/p>\n