Pedroia On Wild Play At Plate: 'I Just Tried To Go Around Him' [VIDEO]
BOSTON (CBS) -- Sunday's scoresheet will tell you Dustin Pedroia scored on an error to give the Red Sox the lead against the Tampa Bay Rays. But that would severely understate the craziness that went down at home plate between Pedroia and Rays catcher Luke Maile.
David Ortiz ripped a double to deep right-center in the top of the 10th inning, which led Pedroia to round third base and head for home. The Rays nearly had Pedroia thrown out, but the second baseman made a series of juking moves as the ball slipped out of Maile's glove on a tag attempt and Pedroia touched home safely.
The play gave the Red Sox a 3-2 lead that they would not relinquish. Pedroia credited the Rays for nearly having him tagged out on Ortiz's deep line drive - and added that Maile's drop wasn't necessarily his fault.
"They made a great relay. It was just one of those things where the ball got there before me, so I didn't really have anywhere to go," said Pedroia. "I just tried to go around him and touch the plate. He was using that knuckleball glove, so it was probably a little flimsy, so it happens."
Manager John Farrell struggled to describe the bizarre play after the game.
"I don't know what you want to call it - dance-step, two-step," said Farrell. "Fortunately, the ball springs free from Maile's glove. ... That's a key moment, honestly, an exciting moment."
Maile also spoke about the added difficulty of catching with a knuckleball glove, but stopped short of making excuses for himself.
"You just have to hang onto the ball, man," Maile said after the game. "It was a weird play. Especially with the knuckleball glove. I never really felt it come out. I kind of felt it in the pocket as I was going to reach for him. Don't really know when it came out. It's just a play you have to make."
The Red Sox also struck out 23 Rays in the game, including a record 11 in a row. The Red Sox have also recorded 11 wins in a row, as they finish off their road trip with a record of 92-64, tied for the best in the American League.