Domenic Smith's awkward run could swing the AL Wild Card race for Red Sox

BOSTON -- Every game, every out, and every run matters for the Boston Red Sox right now. On Tuesday night in Missouri, Domenic Smith scored an extremely awkward run that could swing the American League Wild Card race in Boston's favor.

Smith, Boston's 224-pound first baseman who has been filling in for the injured Triston Casas, is not known for his wheels or elite baserunning technique. There's a strong chance that he's the slowest player on the team.

But as it turns out, Smith might be a very good swimmer. 

The Red Sox and the Royals were tied 3-3 in the top of the sixth after Kanas City plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. Smith started the sixth with a double, and found himself on third with one out and runners on the corners. 

With Ceddanne Rafaela at the dish for Boston, Royals starter Seth Lugo threw a curveball in the dirt that got past backstop Salvador Perez. But Smith couldn't see how far the ball got away from Perez, and he initially froze before breaking toward home.

That brief pause should have doomed Smith, and as the play at the plate developed, it looked like he would be easily cut down at home. Perez got the ball and tossed it to Lugo, who threw down a quick tag as Smith awkwardly slid to the plate. Smith remained dejected in the dirt for a moment after the play, upset at himself for that delayed break home.

But something looked off on that bang-bang play thanks to Smith's unconventional (and likely uncomfortable) slide. With each replay, it looked more and more like Lugo tagged the dirt, and Smith somehow snuck his right hand in and touched the plate before Lugo applied a second tag.

Alex Cora called for a challenge, and a few minutes later, the call at the plate was overturned. Replays showed that Smith was able to turn his body, keep Lugo from tagging his left arm, and touch the plate with his right hand to score the go-ahead run for Boston. Just like he planned, right?

"My slide is a little bit slower than other people's, so I might have a little bit more time to move," Smith joked after the game. "I think it's just something where you're trying to see his glove. You're trying to touch the base before he touches you, and I was able to do that right there."

The Boston dugout erupted as the team took a 4-3 lead. Rafaela eventually walked and after Rob Refsnyder was given a free pass, Masataka Yoshida came through with a two-run single to make it a 6-3 game. 

The Red Sox held on for a 6-5 victory as Kenley Jansen slammed the door shut on the Royals. It was a massive win, as Boston now sits just half-a-game back of Kansas City for the final AL Wild Card spot. The Red Sox will go for a three-game sweep at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday.

Most importantly, the Red Sox now own the tie-breaker over the Royals. Boston has taken four of five so far against Kansas City, and Tuesday night's win could make a huge difference by the end of the regular season, given how congested the Wild Card standings are at the moment.

With both teams neck-and-neck in the Wild Card race, there has been a playoff feel to this series. And Tuesday night was the exact kind of win the Red Sox need to be stacking up right now. They didn't buckle when the Royals scored two to tie it in the fifth, and got those runs (plus one more) right back the next inning. Boston then held on for the win, with Jansen stomping out any hope for a Royals comeback with a 13-pitch ninth.

Smith's game-changing run showed that it's not always going to be pretty. But there are no style points for wins in a playoff race -- or runs scored for that matter. And when teams are really feeling it like the Red Sox are right now, things like Smith's slide tend to break in their favor. 

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