The Boston Red Sox Wednesday, September 6, 2017

* The Boston Globe

Everything you need to know about sign-stealing

Alex Speier

Sign-stealing represents a baseball practice as old as the original act of giving signs, with information warfare serving as a baseball practice so standard that it’s reached the hallowed status of “tradition.” The effort by teams to decode information relayed from coaches to their players and from pitchers to catchers is a practice that spans baseball generations.

“I’ve been in the game for 40 years. I’ve known of it for 40 years,” said Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. “People I’ve talked that played back in the 50’s that talk to me about sign- stealing. So I do think sign-stealing has been taking place for a long time. I will acknowledge that.”

WHAT IS IT? Sign-stealing relates to individual or team efforts to decode the information relayed among members of an opposing team. Most frequently, teams have tried to crack the proverbial code related to the signs conveyed by:

■ A catcher to his pitcher regarding pitch type (fastball, curveball, changeup, etc.) and location (in, away, up, down);

■ A third-base coach to a batter and/or baserunner regarding a play (bunt, steal, hit-and-run, etc.);

■ And an individual in the dugout (usually a manager or coach) to either the third-base coach or players in the field regarding the aforementioned plays as well as defensive strategies such as pitchouts (in case of an anticipated stolen base or bunt attempt). The most common efforts relate to the game’s most common event, chiefly pitches thrown to a hitter. It’s worth noting that sign-stealing is distinct from efforts by one team to identify an opposing pitcher who tips his pitches through some sort of physical tell such as how he holds his glove or the position of his head.

HOW IS IT DONE? The most straightforward practice involves a runner on second base watching what sign a catcher puts down and flashing some kind of signal to the hitter. There have been other, more sophisticated techniques, perhaps most famously the 1951 Giants’ use of a telescope from their center-field clubhouse to detect signs, with the information (fastball or breaking ball) relayed to a member of the team in the bullpen, who in turn offered a signal to the hitter of whether a fastball or breaking ball was coming. The Giants went on a historic season-ending run, beating the crosstown Brooklyn Dodgers in a one-game playoff to advance to the World Series. Tim Kurkjian of ESPN once detailed a 1980s White Sox scheme that involved flashing a refrigerator light on the scoreboard to indicate whether a fastball or breaking ball was coming; current Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was a young executive for the White Sox at the time.

Over time, with the advance of technology, espionage techniques have become more sophisticated. With cameras and screens – not to mention pitch-tracking technology – now all over the park, the mechanisms for sign-stealing have increased.

The current controversy involving the Red Sox and Yankees, first reported by the New York Times, represents the new potential wrinkles of the undertaking. According to the report, a member of the team’s staff who watches the games on a monitor to decide whether to challenge rulings on the field relayed pitch information to a trainer wearing an Apple Watch. That information was then ultimately relayed to a player.

WHAT DOES IT ACCOMPLISH? In theory, a hitter can achieve a considerable advantage if he has information about the pitch type or intended location before it’s thrown. That said, hitters are divided on the benefit of sign-stealing. Some eschew feedback for fear of cluttering their minds — or out of terror that they might get bad information, rendering them vulnerable not just to a bad at-bat but the possibility of getting hit by a pitch. It is worth noting that the Red Sox have been singularly terrible against Yankees pitchers with runners in scoring position this year, posting a .143/.241/.236 line. Overall against the Yankees, the Sox have the worst average (.196) and OPS (.578) of any single team against any single opponent in the majors this year (minimum of 10 games played against each other).

IS IT ILLEGAL? Nope.

“Sign-stealing is not an uncommon practice and there in fact is not a rule against it,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

Umpires leave it up to players to police themselves on the matter. There are instances where accusations of sign-stealing have prompted brushback pitches, threats of brushback pitches, and even physical confrontations. https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/watch-manager-fight-breaks-out-between-dodgers-dave-roberts- padres-andy-green/

But those disputes reflect interpretations of the game’s unwritten rules as opposed to codified breaches of baseball law.

IS IT WRONG? That’s an eye-of-the-beholder question. Dombrowski said he had no beef with the practice.

“Do I think sign-stealing is wrong? No, I don’t,” he said. “I guess it depends how you do it. But no I never thought it was wrong. I guess everybody in the game has been involved with it throughout the years. People are trying to win however they can. It’s an edge they are trying to gain. Sometimes your sophistication of signs can make a difference. So no, I never felt like it’s wrong. Put it this way, I was never brought up that it was wrong.”

SO WHY IS THIS A BIG DEAL? While sign-stealing is not prohibited, the use of electronic devices in dugouts (save for a couple of specific exceptions that do not involve sign-stealing) is a breach of baseball’s rules. Major League Baseball clarified that stance in a preseason bulletin to teams, which defined the restricted use of electronic equipment thusly:

“The use of electronic equipment during a game is restricted. No Club shall use electronic equipment, including but not limited to walkie-talkies, cellular telephones, laptop computers or tablets, to communicate to or with any on-field personnel, including those in the dugout, bullpen, field and, during the game, the clubhouse. No equipment may be used for the purpose of stealing signs or conveying information designed to give a Club an advantage. Laptop computers and hand held devices are not permitted on the bench or in the dugout.

“The only exceptions to this prohibition are the use of a mobile phone for communication between the dugout and the bullpen, and the use of tablets in the dugout or bullpen running uniform programs, so long as such devices and programs have been approved by the Office of the Commissioner.”

The behavior in the Times report – which was reported by the Yankees to the Commissioner’s Office – would represent a breach of that electronic equipment prohibition.

That said, the Red Sox filed a counter-claim suggesting that the Yankees had used electronic equipment for their own benefit, employing cameras for the YES Network in an effort to steal signs for their hitters.

DID THE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE HAVE TO GET INVOLVED? Dombrowski suggested that, over the years, he’s had a number of occasions where he’s had direct contact with peers on other clubs to resolve sign-stealing disputes without the participation of the Commissioner’s Office. He seemed miffed that the matter wasn’t handled according to that practice. Manfred said that this is not the first time that MLB has investigated a complaint regarding electronic sign-stealing, but it is the first time in his tenure ascommissioner (which started in January 2015) that the league office has been asked to do so.

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL REPERCUSSIONS? That’s not clear. Manfred noted that, based on precedent, there’s virtually no chance that he would overturn any Red Sox victories.

“Could it happen? You know, is there the authority to do that? I think the answer to that under the major- league constitution is yes,” said Manfred. “Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? I think the answer is — I know the answer is — no. And the reason for that is it’s just very hard to know what the actual impact in any particular game was of an alleged violation like this.”

Manfred praised the Red Sox for their cooperation with the investigation, but such a compliment shouldn’t be taken as a sign of forthcoming leniency. After all, the Commissioner’s Office praised the Sox for their cooperation with a 2016 investigation into alleged circumvention of international bonus pool restrictions; despite such praise, MLB dropped a hammer on the Sox, declaring five of their prospects free agents and banning the team from signing any international amateurs in 2016-17. The Commissioner’s Office felt it had to punish the Red Sox in that instance given what it viewed as a clear violation of its policy — even in a commonly accepted practice.

That punishment, however, affected the Sox directly in the area of their alleged rules violation: The signing of international players. In this case, MLB could choose a more indirect means of punishing the Sox – including fines, suspensions, and draft-pick or international bonus pool penalties. There’s no track record to offer a clear path forward.

So how will this matter end? That remains up to the discretion of the Commissioner’s Office as it tries to wade into what are, under Manfred, untested waters.

Red Sox activate Carson Smith off 60-day disabled list

Julian Benbow

Since Carson Smith underwent Tommy John surgery in May of last year, his journey back to the field has been a winding road of starts and stops, steps forward and steps back.

The Sox acquired the righthanded reliever in 2015, along with lefthander Roenis Elias, from the Seattle Mariners. Smith was fresh off a 13-save season in which he posted a 2.31 ERA, 92 strikeouts, and a .194 opponents’ batting average.

But he made only three appearances for the Sox in 2016 before being shut down.

When Smith finally was activated from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday before the Sox faced the Blue Jays, it closed the chapter on a lengthy road to recovery.

“It has been long. I think it speaks for itself that it’s 15-16 months out now,” Smith said. “I am just excited to be healthy and to get back out there.”

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Red Sox designated righthander Kyle Martin for assignment.

Smith made 11 rehab appearances over the past month between Double A Portland and Triple A Pawtucket, trying to rediscover consistency, as well as recapture some of his pre-surgery velocity. He threw nine innings in the minors, giving up seven runs (six earned). His fastball hovered between 90 and 93 miles per hour.

In his final rehab appearance last week, Smith was hit with a line drive and was removed from the game for precautionary reasons. Despite the hiccup, he came out of his minor league stint encouraged.

“I feel good,” Smith said. “In regards to the comebacker, I got quite the bruise on my leg but it is something I can work through, for sure. I feel good, my arm feels good. I feel like I am ready to go.”

How he’ll fit into a Red Sox bullpen that’s posted the third-best ERA in baseball remains to be seen. He won’t be used in high-leverage situations. He’ll be eased back.

No matter the scenario, Smith said he’s prepared.

“It is the same game no matter after surgery, pre-surgery, post-surgery,” Smith said. “I am always going out there trying to get outs, and whenever that phone rings and they call my name I am going to be out there doing the best I can to compete and give this team a chance to win. That’s where I am keeping it simple, and that’s where I am going to stay.”

. . .

Last month, Major League Baseball announced plans to institute a fan code of conduct. The decision was made in an effort to create uniformity and baseline standards throughout all 30 ballparks.

The incident at Fenway Park earlier this season involving a fan uttering a racial slur at Orioles center fielder Adam Jones was a catalyst, according to commissioner Rob Manfred, who was at Fenway on Tuesday.

“I think the incident here, and the conversation surrounding that incident, convinced us that this is one of those areas that it would be good for the clubs to have a set of best practices out there to make sure we are doing as effective a job as we possible can from preventing,” said Manfred.

“You’re never going to stop all incidents, you can prevent them from escalating and becoming worse. And to have good procedures to dealing with them when they do occur, and that is the way I think about the code of conduct we are going to put forward. As best practices for the clubs to follow.”

Each team has its own code of conduct for its ballpark, and Manfred said that they were largely effective though not perfect.

“I think in general our clubs have really sound policies and practices in dealing with these incidents, and I think the best testimony to that is that we don’t have large numbers of these that draw public attention,” Manfred said. “Obviously, we would like to have zero — and we know we’ve had one this year and we would like to make that zero, but I do think our review of what the clubs are doing was extremely positive from our perspective and that we think they are in general consistent and that the policies in practice they have is sound.”

. . .

Dustin Pedroia was back in the lineup Tuesday after getting a day to rest Monday.

Pedroia came off the disabled list last Friday, and the plan, according to manager John Farrell, was to play Pedroia in back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday, with an off day for the team on Thursday.

Farrell was confident that Pedroia’s return could lift the Sox, who entered Tuesday having lost eight of their last 12, hitting .219 over that stretch.

“I think it is very realistic,” Farrell said. “He is back in the lineup, back in the two-hole. He has had, in regards to the matchup tonight, he has had some success against [Marco] Estrada. What he means for our defense up the middle speaks for itself. Any time he is back in the lineup is clearly a positive.”

. . .

Portland manager Carlos Febles, Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles, and Pawtucket hitting coach Rich Gedman will join the major league coaching staff. Febles came aboard Tuesday and will remain with the club through Sept. 14. Boles will join the team Sept. 15 and stay through Sept.24. Gedman will come in Sept. 25 and remain through Oct. 1 . . . Rick Porcello was one of 30 players (one from each team) nominated for this year’s Roberto Clemente Award, given to the player who best represents the game through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy, and positive contributions, both on and off the field.

Dave Dombrowski doesn’t think sign stealing is wrong

Matt Pepin

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said Tuesday he does not think sign stealing is wrong, and that it’s been a part of baseball as long as he’s been involved in the game.

The Red Sox have been accused of using electronic devices to facilitate stealing opponents’ signs, and have filed a counter claim that the Yankees, who complained about it to the Major League Baseball commissioner’s office, do likewise.

Sign stealing is not against baseball rules, but using electronic communication devices is, with a few exceptions.

“I will say I think sign stealing has been going on in baseball for a long time. I see somebody in the back there that played that smiled,” Dombrowski said at a news conference at Fenway Park to address a report in the New York Times regarding the issue. “I’ve been in the game for 40 years, I’ve known of it for 40 years, sign stealing itself. I’ve known of people that I’ve talked to that played back in the ’50s that talked to me about sign stealing. So I do think sign stealing has been taking place for a long time. I will acknowledge that.”

Dombrowski also said he does not believe sign stealing is wrong.

“No, I don’t. I guess it depends how you do it, but I’ve never thought it’s wrong. I guess everybody in the game has been involved with it throughout the years,” he said. “It’s an edge. People are trying to win however they can. It’s an edge that they try to gain, and sometimes your sophistication of signs can make a difference. So no, I’ve never felt that it’s wrong. Put it this way, I was never brought up that it was wrong.”

Dombrowski said he has been involved in sign stealing allegations before, but that it has never before been brought to the league.

“Usually the general manager calls you and says here’s a situation I’d like to discuss with you. And I’ve had that happen maybe 10 times in my career,” he said.

Here are more of Dombrowski’s comments Tuesday:

Opening statement:

“I’m aware that there’s an investigation taking place by the commissioner’s office about a sign stealing for the Boston Red Sox. There’s also an investigation taking place of the Yankees on something that they’re doing. I can’t say much more than that because it’s an ongoing investigation in the commissioner’s office at this point.”

Is there any sort of internal investigation by the Red Sox?

“No . . . We have a pulse of what they were looking at and what’s taken play. We’ve completely complied with the commissioner’s office on anything that they’ve asked.

“This is not new, this has been something that’s been going on for 10-12 days, I guess it is, maybe two weeks. The Yankees decided they wanted to give it to [the New York Times] today for whatever reason, I think maybe because it just so happened the commissioner was in town today. I’m not sure there’s a direct correlation to that. He was not in town for this. This was not why he was in town. He was in town just on a normal visit.”

On whether Dombrowski or manager John Farrell knew about the Red Sox stealing signs:

“I don’t really want to comment on any analysis from anybody.”

On use of electronic devices differentiating this case?

“I really don’t want to get into . . . I’m not going to get any more specific than that.”

Do you feel any Red Sox uniformed personnel did anything wrong?

“I really don’t have any additional comments at this point.”

Do the Red Sox do anything wrong?

“I think we probably do something wrong once in a while, I think, sure. I’ve had my wrist slapped a few times throughout my career. Not just with the Red Sox, but sure we do things wrong at times.”

Do you think whatever punishment could come from the league could impact the team over the remainder of the season?

“No, I do not.”

On how quickly the investigation might be concluded?

“Well, I think you’re talking to the commissioner, so you probably better ask him that question, I do not know that answer.”

Was he disappointed this couldn’t be resolved without the league’s involvement?

“Everybody has to do what they think is the right thing to do.”

Does he expect the Red Sox to sanctioning any employees as a result of this?

“I don’t know, it’s way too early for any of that.”

Yanks accuse Red Sox of stealing signs via Apple Watch and video

Peter Abraham

Cheating in baseball? There’s apparently an app for that.

At the request of the New York Yankees, Major League Baseball is investigating allegations that the Boston Red Sox stole signs from their rivals with a system that included the use of an Apple Watch in the dugout.

The Red Sox have filed a counterclaim, providing video evidence to MLB that the Yankees used a television camera to help decipher their signs during a game in New York.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday his office is running independent investigations of both teams, confirming a New York Times report published Tuesday afternoon.

“This is a charged situation from a competitive perspective when you have the kind of rivalry that the Yankees and the Red Sox have,” Manfred said. “I guess it’s not shocking that you could have charges and countercharges like this. We will continue a thorough investigation on the charges on both sides.”

Stealing signs is not illegal, and never has been, in baseball. For decades, teams have tried to break the code between catcher and pitcher to give their hitters knowledge of what pitch is coming.

If any rules were broken, it would be in allegedly using an electronic device to aid in that effort.

“We don’t want to escalate attempts to figure out what a pitcher is going to throw by inducing or introducing technology or electronics into that mix,” Manfred said.

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would not comment on any details related to the investigation.

He smiled and laughed throughout a hastily arranged news conference to address the story.

“I will say that sign stealing has been going on in baseball for a long time,” Dombrowski said. “I’ve been in the game for 40 years. I’ve known of it for 40 years . . . Do I think sign stealing is wrong? No, I don’t.’’

Dombrowski even suggested the Yankees leaked the story to the Times knowing that Manfred would be at Fenway Park for a scheduled visit.

“The Yankees decided they wanted to give it to the [Times] today for whatever reason. I think maybe it just so happened the commissioner was in town today,” Dombrowski said.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said he was aware his players were trying to steal signs. But he claimed not to know any devices were being used.

“I would have shut that down,” he told the Globe. “Everybody knows that rule. But stealing signs, that’s part of the game.”

Red Sox base coaches Ruben Amaro Jr. and Brian Butterfield wouldn’t comment on the charges. The same was true of every player approached before Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway.

The Times reported that the Sox acknowledged their guilt. A team source told the Globe that Dombrowski quickly put an end to the scheme once he learned of it.

The Red Sox had a simple system.

As part of baseball’s replay challenge system, every team has a bank of monitors in its clubhouse to review close plays. Scouting assistant J.T. Watkins, a former minor league catcher, watches games and recommends to Farrell which plays should be challenged.

The Times reported that team personnel used the replay system to decipher signs. That information was then transmitted to the dugout via the Apple Watch worn by assistant athletic trainer Jon Jochim.

Jochim relayed the information to players sitting close by, who then alerted a runner on base. That player then signaled to the batter what pitch was coming.

The Yankees sent MLB video that allegedly shows Jochim passing information to Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia, who in turn signaled to Chris Young at second base. Young then signaled the information to the batter.

Young was one of the Red Sox players interviewed by MLB, according to the Times.

This occurred during a Yankees-Red Sox series at Fenway Park Aug. 18-20. The Sox were 10 of 30 hitting with runners in scoring position that series. The Yankees also had suspicions during a series at Fenway in July.

On Tuesday, the Red Sox filed their complaint with MLB. According to an industry source, the Sox have evidence that the Yankees used cameras from the YES Network to zoom in on Red Sox bench coach Gary DiSarcina flashing signs to players from the dugout.

Incorporating their television network to aid in sign-stealing could be interpreted as a greater violation than what the Red Sox did.

Every few seasons, a team is accused of using cameras, binoculars, or even a person in the stands to steal signs.

In 2011, when Farrell managed the Blue Jays, ESPN reported a man in a white shirt sitting in center field raised his arms to indicate an offspeed pitch was coming.

The Blue Jays denied it and MLB did not take action.

MLB’s investigation should be completed before the end of the regular season. Manfred has the power to vacate victories by the Red Sox as punishment.

But that would be precedent-setting.

“Has it ever happened with this type of allegations? I know the answer is no,” he said. “It’s fair and the reason for that is it’s just very hard to know what the actual impact in any particular game was of an alleged violation.”

Dombrowski and Manfred said such allegations are usually handled on a more informal level between the teams.

“I am told that sign-stealing issues are often resolved by one general manager calling another general manager and saying, ‘Hey, I think you are doing X and if you are doing it you ought to stop doing it.’ That has happened in the past,” Manfred said.

But this time it escalated with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman filing a formal and detailed complaint.

“Everybody has to do whatever they think is the right thing to do,” Dombrowski said.

Boston’s reputation in sports takes another hit

Dan Shaughnessy

Where do we start on this one?

The New York Times says that the first-place Red Sox are cheaters. The Times says that the Sox admitted it. Evidently, the Sox got dimed out by the Yankees (Brian Cashman is the new Fredo) and they totally fessed up when caught.

So where do we go with this now? What do we tell our out-of-town friends? Every time we start talking about all those duck boat parades, they’ll have an answer.

You were cheating.

The Patriots got slapped with Spygate. Then Deflategate. Now this. The Red Sox have Applegate (WEEI’s Dale Arnold had that first, I believe).

Incredible.

According to the Times, members of the Sox training staff, standing in the dugout during games against the Yankees, were caught on tape looking at their Apple watches, getting intel from Sox video replay personnel backstage. There allegedly is video showing Sox assistant trainer Jon Jochim (is he McNally or Jastremski?) looking at his watch, then passing information to Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia. Pedroia then whispers to Chris Young.

Tinker to Evers to Chance.

Unlike the Patriots (who would surely tell you that the radar gun is broken if they got busted for speeding), the Red Sox chose to admit almost everything, according to the Times.

Sox manager John Farrell and general manager Dave Dombrowski would not go quite that far Tuesday.

“I think sign stealing has been going on in baseball for a long time,’’ said a jovial Dombrowski. “Do I think sign stealing is wrong? No. People are trying to win however they can. I’ve never felt that it was wrong.’’

Swell. That’s the old “If you ain’t cheatin’, you ain’t tryin’ ” philosophy. But we all know that using modern technology to cheat is a little different from having your runner on second try to tell the batter what’s coming.

The Sox responded by filing a counter cheating charge against the Yankees.

Nice.

“You’re fat and ugly!”

“No, you’re fat and ugly!’’

Strong retort there, Sox.

Both Dombrowski and Farrell claimed they had been unaware of the scheme. That explanation works for Dombrowski, but it could be crushing for Farrell. If the Sox did in fact admit they were doing it, Farrell looks worse when he says he knew nothing about it. The alleged activity was going on just a few feet away from him in the dugout.

The Times reported that the system had been in place for several weeks. Farrell presents as clueless when he denies all knowledge of the alleged system.

Michael Schmidt — the same guy who broke the news in 2009 that David Ortiz tested positive for PEDs in 2003 — reported the story for the Times. At the end of his story, Schmidt wrote, “Some in baseball would like for Mr. Manfred to take away some of Boston’s victories . . .”

Ha. Good luck with that one. That penalty has never been levied by any baseball commissioner. We all know that everybody tries to steal signs. It is a practice that is as old as baseball. Getting caught only makes the Red Sox look careless and sloppy.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred just happened to be at Fenway Tuesday (a scheduled visit), and would not give up much. He said there was still investigative work to be done. He said he would not comment on any aspect of the investigation. He pointed out that there are no rules against sign stealing, but the use of electronic equipment is prohibited. Manfred said the Red Sox had been “100 percent fully cooperative.’’

The commish said he was concerned about the perception of the game and any potential change of outcome on the field as a result of the alleged cheating systems.

The Sox probably will lose some draft picks and pay a hefty fine, but they are not going to get docked any games for this. This is more about their reputation.

And Boston’s. This is going to be tough to live down. The Patriots get ratted out by the Jets and the Colts. And now the hated Yankees apparently caught the Red Sox red-handed.

MLB commissioner promises ‘thorough investigation’ of sign-stealing charges

Rachel G. Bowers

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred was in Boston on Tuesday for what he called part of a routine “to try to visit as many of the 30 clubs at home as I can during the season.”

His visit happened to coincide with the news that the Red Sox and Yankees filed complaints against each other for sign-stealing that involved electronics (an Apple Watch for the Sox, a YES network camera for the Yankees).

So the commissioner took questions from reporters about the complaints while not commenting on the contents of the investigation.

Here is the transcript and audio of his news conference on the complaints:

Manfred: “Good afternoon. I’m here in Boston, part of sort of a routine that I have to try to visit as many of the 30 clubs at home as I can during the season. This date’s long been on the calendar. So, it turned out I guess that we got a little news today, but certainly had nothing to do with my plan to be here. Kind of a routine event from my perspective. With that, let me take questions.”

Q. What can you tell us about the status of this investigation into sign-stealing and what you’ve uncovered and what some possible repercussions might be?

A. “Well, I’m not going to give interim reports on an ongoing investigation. What I can tell you is this: I take any issue that affects the play of the game on the field extremely seriously. I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective when you have the kind of rivalry that the Yankees and the Red Sox have, I guess it’s not shocking you could have charges and countercharges like this. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides. I want to do that quickly. I think that’s important that we get it resolved. The only thing that I can tell you about repercussions is that to the extent that there was a violation on either side, and I’m not saying that there was, to the extent that there was a violation on either side, we are 100 percent comfortable that it is not an ongoing issue — that if it happened, it is no longer happening. I think that’s important from an integrity perspective going forward.”

Q. The Red Sox have already admitted that they did it, right? So is this more of a how long have they done it for?

A. “All I’m going to say about what the Red Sox have said to us is that they have — I’m not going to talk about any aspect of the investigation that’s ongoing. I will say this, that the Red Sox have been 100 percent fully cooperative with us in the investigation. Could not have asked for better cooperation than we’ve received from the Boston Red Sox.”

Q. [Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave] Dombrowski basically made the point that sign stealing has been part of the game for decades. Because this allegedly involves electronic devices, does that make this rise to another level of seriousness in your mind?

A. “Well, let me say it this way: We actually do not have a rule against sign-stealing and it has been a part of the game for a very, very long time. To the extent that there was a violation of a rule here, it was a violation by one or the other that involved the use of electronic equipment. It’s the electronic equipment that creates the violation and I think the rule against electronic equipment has a number of policy reasons behind it, but one of them is that we don’t want to escalate attempts to figure out what a pitcher is going to throw by inducing or introducing technology or electronics into that mix.”

Q. Are you aware of this going on beyond a Red Sox-Yankees series in previous games that the Red Sox played in?

A. “I’m not going to comment on any aspect of the investigation until it’s done. I can tell you that within the game, it’s fairly well known that sign-stealing — OK, put the electronics to one side — sign-stealing is not an uncommon practice and there in fact is not a rule against it.”

Q. Do you expect your investigation to be completed before the end of the regular season?

A. “I do. I do.”

Q. Have you conducted other investigations in the past that have already been completed into electronic sign-stealing? Or is this the first of its kind?

A. “Not since I was commissioner, but there have been prior allegations of sign-stealing involving the use of electronic equipment by clubs other than the two involved here.”

Q. This is Red Sox-Yankees, but what are your feelings in your office when two of your clubs maybe start squabbling like this either publicly or at a front-office level?

A. “We would prefer not to have these sorts of issues at all, No. 1. And No. 2, to the extent that we have them, we would prefer to investigate them, deal with them privately, and be done with them. Didn’t happen that way, I’m a realist when it comes to these matters. We’re going to deal with what we have.”

Q. Is this generally something that clubs can handle between themselves or is there an intermediary behind closed doors?

A. “Oh, can I tell you something? I started to answer before you finished, which is always a bad idea, so say again for me please.”

Q. Do things like this pop up and generally get handled between the two clubs behind closed doors?

A. “I am told, and I’ve never been a general manager, but I’m told that sign-stealing issues are often resolved by one general manager calling another general manager and saying, ‘Hey, I think you’re doing X and if you’re doing it, you ought to stop doing it.’ That has happened in the past. I don’t have firsthand knowledge of that, but people that I know, respect, trust, have to me that that’s the case.”

Q. Can you tell us where you are in the stage of completing the investigation? What else has to be done or is this a matter of reviewing what’s been collected and determining what to do about it?

A. “No, they’re still — all I can do for you there is, it’s not just a question of me reviewing what’s out there. It’s a question of some investigative work still needs to be done. We do not have complete facts, is I guess a good way to say it.”

Q. Did you determine any punishment to look at it from a deterrent perspective?

A. “Yeah, I think that, when I think about punishment, I think you need to think about deterrence. I think you need to think about how the violation has affected the play on the field, and I think you need to think about how it’s affected the perception of the game publicly, and all of those things are something that you have to weigh in terms of trying to get to appropriate discipline.”

Q. What department within baseball conducts this investigation?

A. “That’s the easiest question of the day. The department of investigations. There is a separate department. [A] former assistant United States attorney by the name of Brian Seely heads the department and he does any investigation, no matter what the topic is, whether it’s a player discipline, whatever, Brian handles all of those investigative activities.”

Q. Can you say if at this point he’s spoken to people in the Red Sox organization?

A. “I’m not going to comment on the content of the investigation.”

Q. Could wins be vacated?

A. “Wins, look, I would say this: Could it happen? Is there the authority to do that? I think the answer to that under the Major League constitution is yes. Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? I think the answer, I know the answer is no. And the reason for that is just it’s very hard to know what the actual impact in any particular game was of an alleged violation of the rules.”

* The Boston Herald

Red Sox snap losing streak with walkoff win in 19th inning vs. Blue Jays

Matt Kalman

It wasn’t the offensive eruption the Red Sox were looking for, but they’ll take the win.

The Sox scored two runs in the ninth and then ended a 19-inning marathon on a walkoff single by Hanley Ramirez to beat the last-place Toronto Blue Jays, 3-2, and snap a three-game losing streak last night at Fenway Park.

The Sox have scored just 16 runs while winning two of their past six games. But they avoided matching a season high for consecutive losses and also pushed the New York Yankees, who lost to Baltimore, 3-1/2 games out of first place in the AL East. The Sox improved to 12-3 in extra-inning games and 5-2 in games that last 12 innings or longer, and they’re hoping this one is the start of a successful stretch run.

Mookie Betts led off the 19th with a wall-ball double to left field. Ramirez followed with a bloop single to center field. Betts took off with the crack of the bat and didn’t stop until he scored.

“At the time, I think things just kind of happened quickly," Betts said. "I wasn’t necessarily looking around to see or anything. I think I just kind of turned around and saw that Pillar was in a full sprint in and I pretty much said I don’t think he’s going to catch it and trusted my instincts.”

Hector Velazquez (3-1) earned the win with a scoreless inning as 11 Sox relievers (including Carson Smith) combined for 13 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts.

“Every guy that walked to the mound did exactly what they needed to do with their backs against the wall, having to make some key pitches with men in scoring position,” manager John Farrell said.

It was the second-longest game in Fenway Park history (20 innings vs. Seattle Sept. 3, 1981) and it took six hours to play.

The Sox victimized Toronto closer Robert Osuna in the ninth with the help of Betts’ bat and legs.

Andrew Benintendi led off with a walk and Betts followed with a double. Ramirez’ groundout scored Benintendi to make it 2-1 and Betts, who had held up at second base, took third on the throw. That proved to be fortuitous because when Mitch Moreland hit a hard groundball to a diving drawn-in Toronto second baseman Darwin Barney, Betts was able to race home and tie the score, 2-2.

Jackie Bradley Jr. preserved the tie in the top of the 11th. Jose Bautista led off with a walk, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and moved to third on an infield single by Michael Saunders. Justin Smoak hit a fly ball to medium depth center field and Bradley nailed Bautista at the plate to end the threat.

Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez didn’t earn his first win since May 26, but he pitched well enough to keep the Sox within striking distance. Rodriguez threw 107 pitches in six innings, but with his best velocity in some time, he was able to hold the Blue Jays at bay, allowing just two runs on six hits. He walked one and struck out eight, while producing a groundball percentage nearly double his rate for the season.

The Blue Jays scored their first run in the second inning. Kevin Pillar doubled and took third on an infield single by Barney. Teoscar Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to center to make it 1-0.

Kendrys Morales led off the sixth inning with a home run on an inside 0-2 fastball to give the Blue Jays a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile Toronto starter Marco Estrada, who entered the game with a 5.23 ERA, shut out the Sox on three hits through seven innings. He walked three, struck out three and retired the last 10 batters he faced after a fourth-inning two-out walk to Xander Bogaerts.

The Sox' only threat against Estrada came in the second inning when they loaded the bases with two outs after a Ramirez double and walks to Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez. But Bradley struck out.

Toronto reliever Dominic Leone kept the Sox quiet in the eighth inning but Joe Kelly, Addison Reed and Craig Kimbrel did the same to the Blue Jays to set up the ninth-inning comeback.

John Farrell doing what he can to jump-start Red Sox offense

Jason Mastrodonato

Now we really need someone to blame.

As if losing three out of four to the Yankees wasn’t bad enough, the Red Sox came home to Fenway Park and proverbially vomited all over themselves, losing to a Blue Jays team that has about as much life as your local Blockbuster Video, then submitting an uninspiring performance last night — at least until walking off with a 3-2 win in 19 innings.

Now that the sign-stealing Apple Watches have been put away, the Sox’ offense has disappeared.

So here come the pitchforks. And for those who want to point them at John Farrell, there’s only one reason why that might be reasonable: He took out Christian Vazquez in the ninth inning and replaced him with Rafael Devers.

Vazquez is leading the team with a .350 average since Aug. 1. Devers hadn’t played since Sunday. It was his second career pinch-hitting appearance and it ended the same as his first one did: With a strikeout.

In-game managerial decisions are always going to be questioned. Maybe Farrell will cost his team a game with some bizarre moves. He probably already has. He’s probably won some, too.

But when it comes to lineup decisions, when it comes to roles, when it comes to starting rotation decisions, what is Farrell to do right now?

You could say this team has been doomed since the start. There’s still a David Ortiz-sized hole in the lineup and there isn’t a player on this team who would even graze the wall while passing through it.

That one is on Dave Dombrowski. He also traded Travis Shaw for Tyler Thornburg. Don’t forget that.

But Dombrowski came up aces in June, July and August, when he claimed Doug Fister off waivers, promoted Devers, traded for Eduardo Nunez and Addison Reed at the deadline, then added some elite speed in Rajai Davis for an extra kick.

He’s off the hook right now. He can sit back, put his feet up and tell his team to stop being so sloppy in their attempt to cheat.

Farrell, too, has done about all he can, short of benching Mookie Betts, which would cause Sparky Anderson, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack to roll over in their graves.

And please, stop calling for Bryce Brentz, a career .262 hitter with a .325 on-base percentage — in the minor leagues. So he hit 31 homers in the International League this year. He also struck out 109 times in 494 plate appearances.

Farrell has already pulled out all the stops.

Bench Xander Bogaerts for a few days? Check.

Find a way to get Hanley Ramirez to first base so Mitch Moreland doesn’t have to play against lefties anymore? Check.

Move Ramirez down in the order until his bat heats up? Check.

With a losing record against lefties, switch things up? Move Chris Young down in the order and start Sam Travis (.406 average, 1.063 OPS vs. lefties) at first base and Deven Marrero (.313 average, .963 OPS vs. lefties) at second base? Check.

Give more playing time to Vazquez, who has significantly out-hit Sandy Leon in the second half? Check.

Here’s what Farrell can’t do: He can’t take a 92-mph dead-red fastball from the Blue Jays closer and drive it out of the park. That’s what Betts should’ve done with that pitch from Roberto Osuna in the ninth inning last night. He hit a soft liner for a double instead. Not a bad result, but one that shows that Betts is far from locked in.

Farrell has made his fair share of mistakes this year. He’ll make more. But as the Red Sox either stumble or surge in their last 23 games, his pencil will only have so much power. It’s done about all it can do.

Players got to play. Hitters got to hit.

Maybe somebody will throw a chair after one of these ugly losses.

Not surprising this sad Red Sox team gets caught in scandal

Steve Buckley

If you could pick one team in Major League Baseball to get caught engaging in a cheap, cheesy illegal-use- of-electronics caper, it would be the 2017 Red Sox, right?

Of course. We’ve been saying for more than a year now that the Red Sox clubhouse is dysfunctional, disorganized and disengaged from every other team in baseball, and this bombshell about electronic sign- stealing is just the latest example of why ownership faces a huge cleanup operation in the years to come.

Earlier this year, when I wrote that it’s becoming harder and harder to like the Red Sox, it was because they botched the Manny Machado incident in Baltimore, followed by manager John Farrell’s ill-fated decision to hand over the clubhouse to insufferable whiner David Price in the aftermath of the Dennis Eckersley incident.

And now this: An MLB investigation reveals the Red Sox deployed Apple Watches in a scheme to steal hand signals being used by opposing catchers. According to The New York Times, which broke the story, the investigation was inspired by a complaint filed by the New York Yankees, and the scheme involved members of the Sox’ training staff.

(The Red Sox followed suit yesterday, claiming the Yankees have been using center field cameras at Yankee Stadium to steal signals.)

This is a horrible, horrible look for the team that stood by and did nothing when Eckersley, a Hall of Fame pitcher now working as a NESN analyst, was verbally abused by Price during a team charter to Toronto. Even worse, various Red Sox players were cheering Price on.

While upper management spoke out in favor of Eckersley — the most candid being Red Sox chairman Tom Werner — not a single person in uniform offered an apology to Eckersley. Farrell, in addition to refusing to apologize on behalf of the team, kept repeating he has a “professional relationship” with Eckersley, a carefully-worded statement designed not to offend his sensitive players.

It stands to reason that a team so lacking in soul and decorum would then stoop to using electronics to steal signs. Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski laughed off the report yesterday, pointing out that sign- stealing has been going on for years. Be prepared for Dombrowski to next say the team is “moving on” from the allegations, which is how he broomed the Price-Eckersley dust-up.

But what Dombrowski leaves out is that the investigation isn’t about sign-stealing. As was pointed out by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, who was in Boston yesterday (which, one assumes, is why the Yankees leaked the investigation to the Times), this isn’t about sign-stealing. It’s about using electronics in the dugout — which is illegal.

These are sophisticated electronics, which, when deployed in defiance of the rules, means the games are not on the level. And if you’re any kind of baseball fan, from any city, you have a right to believe the games are being played on the level.

This is why Major League Baseball should absolutely hammer the Red Sox over this blatant rule-breaking.

Manfred strongly hinted that any punishment meted out isn’t likely to include vacating victories by the Red Sox.

“Could it happen?” said Manfred. “Is there the authority to do that? I think the answer to that under the major-league constitution is yes. Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? … I know the answer is no. And the reason for that is just it’s very hard to know the actual impact in any particular game … and alleged violation of the rules.”

So don’t expect the Red Sox to get tossed out of the playoffs. But it wouldn’t be a bad idea — not as a punitive measure, but as an opportunity to keep this soul-less, mismanaged team from trudging upon baseball’s greatest stage.

It’s fascinating that the Red Sox are saying neither Dombrowski nor Farrell was involved in the scheme. Dombrowski? That makes sense. He’s not in the dugout or in the clubhouse during the game. But Farrell? Even if he wasn’t involved, it then becomes another example that he doesn’t know what’s happening on his own bench.

In exactly 50 years, the Red Sox have gone from the Impossible Dream to the Impossible Scheme.

This one isn’t a love story.

Red Sox notebook: September call-ups ready to contribute

Matt Kalman

The expanded roster of September can be a double-edged sword for players called up to reinforce the major league lineup.

On the one hand, it’s an opportunity for a younger player to be in the big leagues during the pennant race. But on the other hand, it can be difficult to get playing time and stay ready to contribute on a successful team.

Infielder Deven Marrero, one of a handful of September call-ups who also spent some time with the Red Sox earlier in the season, credits the coaching staff for making sure the extra players are sharp.

“I think it all starts when you get to the field early and you go and do your early work. (Coaches Brian) Butterfield and (Gary DiSarcina), they have a good routine for us when we get out there,” Marrero said before the Sox faced the Toronto Blue Jays last night at Fenway Park. “And the way that we work it’s full speed and it’s game like. So it makes us ready for any situation that we’re put in. And throughout the day and throughout the game, just talking about situations and stuff like that keeps you alert and keeps you ready for any moment during the game.”

Marrero got a start at second base Monday, as did first baseman Sam Travis. Both right-handed hitters offered manager John Farrell with extra options against left-handed starter J.A. Happ, but neither started last night against right-handed starter Marco Estrada.

With several Sox right-handed hitters suffering through reverse splits this season, Travis might see a few more chances to play in September than maybe he would have in past seasons.

“These guys are professionals. Most of them have been here for a while, had a lot of success. They know what they’re going, how to make an adjustment, how to attack the game,” said Travis, who had two hits against Happ on Monday. “For me I’m just trying to contribute any way I can when I get called upon.”

Marrero is known for his dazzling glove, and based on game situations he could find himself called upon more as a defensive replacement than a pinch-hitter. Regardless of their skill set, the September call-ups want to both contribute to the Sox reaching the postseason and maybe convince the brass to keep them on the roster for the playoffs.

“I think we’re all trying to be a part of that postseason,” Marrero said. “That’s the main goal is to help this team get there and then be a part of it. So whatever the team needs, that’s what we’re here for, that’s what all the September call-ups are here for.”

Smith in the pen

The Sox activated reliever Carson Smith from the disabled list last night. Smith, who hasn’t pitched in the majors this season while rehabilitating from Tommy John surgery, was 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in 11 appearances for Triple-A Pawtucket and Double-A Portland combined. He walked six batters and struck out six.

Smith was removed from his last appearance because he was hit by a line drive in his rear end Sunday, but Farrell expected him to be available against the Jays.

To make room on the 40-man roster, Kyle Martin was designated for assignment. The 26-year-old Martin made two appearances for the Sox this season and allowed one run on two hits in 21⁄3 innings. He was 0-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 33 games for Pawtucket.

Dustin’s return

The Sox were hoping for a spark from second baseman Dustin Pedroia’s return to the lineup last night after he had a scheduled day off on Monday.

In two games since coming off the disabled list, Pedroia was 1-for-6 with five strikeouts. He went into the game against the Blue Jays batting .301 with six home runs, 54 RBI and a .778 OPS.

“What it means to us and our defense up the middle speaks for itself. Anytime he’s back in the lineup is clearly a positive,” Farrell said.

With Pedroia starting and Xander Bogaerts at shortstop for the second straight game after three games off, the Sox had their regular double-play combo together for the first time since July 28.

No Brentz

Despite leading the International League with 31 home runs this season, outfielder Bryce Brentz will not be among the call-ups. Brentz was removed from the 40-man roster in spring training and there isn’t a spot open for him. Some thought the right-handed slugger could’ve helped down the stretch.

The decision to not bring him to Boston showed Travis, Brentz’ teammate for much of the season, how cutthroat professional baseball can be.

“It’s a business. These people in the office are here for a reason and it’s not in our control,” Travis said.

Yankees rat to MLB about stolen signs

Jason Mastrodonato

Without David Ortiz, the Red Sox offense has reverted to the Apple Watch.

The New York Times reported yesterday that the Red Sox had been using the gadget in attempt to steal signs during a series with the New York Yankees at Fenway Park in August.

Major League Baseball investigated the accusation, originally made by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, and determined the Red Sox did, in fact, execute such a plan to steal signs from the Yankees catchers and transfer the information to players in the dugout using an Apple Watch, which was being worn by a member of the training staff.

After MLB investigators confronted the Red Sox, they admitted to using their sign-stealing system for “weeks,” according to the report.

Commissioner Rob Manfred, who was at Fenway for a routine visit, said he was certain that the sign- stealing via Apple Watch was no longer taking place.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides,” he said. “I want to do it quickly, I think it’s important we get it resolved. The only thing I can tell you about repercussions is that, if there was a violation on either side, and I’m not saying there was, but to the extent there was a violation on either side, we are 100 percent comfortable that it’s not an ongoing issue.”

Stealing signs is not against major league rules, Manfred said.

“It has been a part of the game for a very, very long time,” he said. “To the extent that there was a violation of the rule here, it was a violation by one or the other that involved the use of electronic equipment. It’s the electronic equipment that creates the violation.”

Asked about the story before last night’s game, Sox manager John Farrell did not deny nor confirm the report.

“Aware of the rule, that electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout,” Farrell said. “But beyond that the only thing I can say is it’s a league matter at this point.”

Outfielder Chris Young and Red Sox team trainers were interviewed by the league, according to the report, and the Sox told the investigators that Farrell, nor president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, nor any front office officials were aware of the sign stealing.

But Dombrowski, speaking generally, defended the act of sign-stealing.

“Do I think sign-stealing is wrong? No, I don’t,” he said. “I guess it depends how you do it. But no I never thought it was wrong.

“People are trying to win however they can. It’s an edge they are trying to gain. Sometimes your sophistication of signs can make a difference.”

Dombrowski seemed agitated that the Yankees went so far as to file a formal complaint with the commissioner’s office.

“Usually the general manager calls you and says, ‘Here’s a situation I’d like to discuss with you,’ and I’ve had that happen maybe 10 times in my career,” he said, noting it’s the first time in his career he ever had to deal with a situation like this through the commissioner.

The Sox responded by filing a complaint against the Yankees yesterday.

Manfred said he takes the issue seriously, but he felt gamesmanship was in play.

“I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective,” he said. “When you have the kind of rivalry the Red Sox and Yankees have, I guess it’s not shocking you could have charges and countercharges like this.”

Dombrowski seemed to suggest that the Yankees purposely leaked the story yesterday, given the commissioner’s scheduled visit to Fenway Park.

“This is not new, this has been something that has been going on for 10-12 days,” Dombrowski said. “Something like that. Maybe two weeks. The Yankees decide they want to give it today, for whatever reason. I think maybe because it just so happened the commissioner is in town today. I’m not sure there is a direct correlation to that.”

Manfred said he expects a decision on punishment to be handed out before the end of the season.

While the commissioner has the power to take away wins from a team, he doesn’t expect to do so.

“Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? I think the answer is — I know the answer is — no,” he said. “And the reason for that is it’s just very hard to know what the actual impact in any particular game was of an alleged violation like this.

“When I think about punishment, I think you need to think about deterrents. I think you need to think about how the violation has affected the play on the field, and I think you need to think about how it’s affected the perception of the game publicly. All of those things are something that you have to weigh in terms of trying to get to appropriate discipline.”

In Baltimore, Yankees manager Joe Girardi defended the grievance.

“This has been a concern of mine in baseball for a long time and what we do to try to combat the catchers having to go out all the time,” Girardi said. “It’s something I’ve been speaking up about a long time, that headsets are needed. There has to be a way to protect signs. Stealing signs has been part of the game for a long, long time — signs, location and different things. It’s something in baseball I think we need to help on because we’re talking about pace of play. Pace of play has slowed down because of this.”

Manfred acknowledged attempts to speed up pace of play this year have failed. He’s optimistic rules will be in place next season to help.

* The Springfield Republican

Jackie Bradley's catch, Mookie Betts' double, 13 scoreless innings in relief; the keys to Boston Red Sox 19-inning win over Toronto

Jen McCaffrey

BOSTON - After losing four of their last five games and seven of their last 11, the Red Sox desperately needed a win.

It took 19 innings on Tuesday night (and into Wednesday morning), but Boston pulled it off.

Hanley Ramirez's bloop single scored Mookie Betts for a 3-2 walk-off win over the Toronto Blue Jays. In the process, Boston increased its lead in the American League East to 3 1/2 games as the Yankees lost to Baltimore.

The 19-inning win for the Red Sox was the second-longest game in Fenway Park's 106-year history. The club record stands at 20 innings in 1981.

"It's a mentally tough win," Jackie Bradley Jr. said. "We had to fight to get back in the game toward the end of the game, finally able to tie it up. Managed to just grind it, everybody, both sides. And we were able to edge them out tonight."

There were strong pitching performances, clutch hits, and key defensive plays that made the win, albeit a bit delayed, possible.

For starters, Eduardo Rodriguez pitched his best game in a month for the Red Sox with six innings allowing just two runs on six hits and a walk. But Boston's bats had nothing to show against Jays starter Marco Estrada. Yet they managed to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth.

Andrew Benintendi drew a leadoff walk and Mookie Betts doubled to put two in scoring position with no outs. Ramirez grounded out to score Benintendi and move Betts to third. Mitch Moreland grounded out to first scoring Betts and tying the game.

Two innings later, Bogaerts and Bradley made key defensive plays to prevent the Jays from scoring in the 11th. Jose Bautista walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Michael Saunders hit a hard shot up the middle, but Bogaerts made a diving stop to keep Bautista from attempting to score. With runners on first and second, Justin Smoak hit a would-be sacrifice fly to center. Bradley made the catch and set himself up perfectly, firing home to get Bautista at the plate.

"I knew it was going to be a do or die type of situation so just tried to line it up and make a good throw," Bradley said.

"Bogey makes a headlong dive to keep a groundball by Saunders on the infield, and then Jackie's throw, a couple-hundred-foot strike to cut down Bautista and that allowed us to stay alive," manager John Farrell said.

The Red Sox bullpen, meanwhile, combined to pitch 13 scoreless innings. Eleven relievers came to the mound and held Toronto to six hits and three walks from the seventh through the 19th inning.

"Just an outstanding job by every guy that came to the mound," Farrell said. "Whether it was (Brandon) Workman's two innings of work, and, at the time, Austin Maddox, who showed great poise, power stuff, good change up. And then it continued on. Every time that walked to the mound did exactly what they needed to do with their backs against the wall, having to make some key pitches with men in scoring position."

Carson Smith, who was activated from the disabled list on Tuesday, made his first appearance with the Red Sox in 16 months following Tommy John surgery in May 2016. He pitched a clean 18th inning.

Then it came time for Ramirez's run-scoring single.

Betts hit a hard double off the wall and made a smart decision when Ramirez hit a sinking liner to center.

"I think I just kind of turned around and saw that (centerfielder Kevin) Pillar was on a full sprint in and I just, pretty much said I don't think he's gonna catch it and trusted my instincts and he didn't," Betts said.

Those instincts allowed Betts to score the winning run exactly six hours after the game had started.

"Your body is not meant to be moving that long," Bradley said. "It wants to sit down somewhere so it's good to be able to sit it on down after a win."

Ramirez drives in Betts for Boston Red Sox walk-off win over Toronto Blue Jays in 19th inning

Jen McCaffrey

BOSTON - It took 19 innings, but the Red Sox finally pulled out a win.

Mookie Betts hit a hard double off the wall to lead off the bottom of the 19th and Hanley Ramirez hit a bloop single to center to drive in Betts for a 3-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.

The win, coupled with a Yankees loss, moved the Red Sox 3 1/2 games up in the American League East.

The Red Sox trailed 2-0 for much of the game before rallying to tie the score 2-2 in the bottom of the ninth.

Andrew Benintendi drew a leadoff walk and Betts doubled to put two in scoring position with no outs. Ramirez grounded out to score Benintendi and move Betts to third. Mitch Moreland grounded out to first to score Betts, tying the game.

Then the two teams battled for another 10 innings.

The Jays threatened to score in the top of the 11th with a runner on third and one out. But after a would-be sacrifice fly to center, Jackie Bradley Jr. made a perfect throw home to get the runner.

Eduardo Rodriguez started the game for the Red Sox and pitched his best game in about a month, but it was a distant memory by the time the game was over.

Rodriguez held Toronto to two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings but Jays right-hander Marco Estrada held the Red Sox scoreless over seven innings, allowing just three hits.

Prior to the ninth, the lone chance Boston had on the bases came in the second when Ramirez hit a one-out double. Mitch Moreland popped out for the second out, but Xander Bogaerts and Christian Vazquez followed with walks to load the bases. But Bradley Jr. grounded out to end the threat.

Rodriguez allowed a double and single followed by a sacrifice fly in the second inning to give Toronto a 1- 0 lead. A leadoff homer in the sixth was the only other run he surrendered.

Eleven Boston relievers combined to pitch 13 scoreless innings.

Carson Smith rejoins Boston Red Sox bullpen, Kyle Martin DFA'd

Jen McCaffrey

Sixteen months after having Tommy John surgery, Carson Smith is returning to the Red Sox bullpen.

The right-hander was activated on Tuesday and will be available to pitch, though likely not in high- leverage situations. Right-hander Kyle Martin was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Smith.

In 10 rehab appearances with Triple-A Pawtucket, Smith allowed five runs, four earned, on 10 hits and three walks over 8 2/3 innings. He struck out six.

The Red Sox don't expect Smith to be back to full strength and velocity until next season but an extra arm in the bullpen is never a bad thing.

Smith posted scoreless outings in eight to his 10 appearances and he consistently threw 90-93 mph.

"The velocity has been pretty consistent," Farrell said on Monday. "There's been good shape and action to the sinker and slider as well. I think we would fully expect his customary velocity, his normal velocity wouldn't be there yet. And we wouldn't expect it to be until after a full offseason that he gets normal rest time and then a buildup into spring training."

Red Sox sign-stealing: Dombrowski suggests Yankees leaked report with Manfred visiting Boston

Jen McCaffrey

BOSTON - While news of the Red Sox sign-stealing broke on Tuesday, the investigation has been ongoing for the last two weeks.

Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was suspicious of the timing of the news leaking Tuesday with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred in Boston for a previously scheduled visit.

The New York Times reported that the Yankees filed a report with the league alleging the Red Sox stole signs from New York during their season series with the help of an Apple Watch.

The Times report details that members of the Red Sox video replay team, which is stationed in the clubhouse during games, sent messages to the Apple Watches of Red Sox team trainers in the dugout, who then relayed to hitters which pitches to expect from the opposition.

The Red Sox responded with a report to MLB alleging the Yankees stole their signs by using the YES Network television cameras.

"This is not new," Dombrowski said when asked about the investigation. "This has been something that has been going on for 10-12 days. Something like that. Maybe two weeks. The Yankees decide they want to give it today, for whatever reason. I think maybe because it just so happened the commissioner is in town today. I'm not sure there is a direct correlation to that. He was not in town for this. This was not why he was in town. He is in town just on a normal visit."

Manfred had a session with the media planned for Tuesday evening before the news broke and opened in session by addressing the news.

"I'm here in Boston as sort of a routine I have to visit as many of the 30 clubs at home during the season," he said. "This date has long been on the calendar so it turned out that we had a little news today but certainly had nothing to do with my plan to be here."

Dombrowski said in his 40 years working in baseball he's dealt with a sign-stealing situation maybe 10 times, but has always dealt with the corresponding team's general manger directly, never having to bring the issue to the league office.

"Usually the general manager calls you and says, 'Here's a situation I'd like to discuss with you,'" Dombrowski said, seeming to take issue with the fact Yankees general manager Brian Cashman brought the matter to the league.

"I have been involved in different things and I've talked to other general managers and I know that they've been involved in those things too," Dombrowski said.

"Everybody has to do whatever they think is the right thing to do."

One difference in this case, however, is that the Red Sox were using Apple Watches to relay information, breaking the rule on the use of electronic devices.

Since 2015 when Manfred was named commissioner, this is the first case of a team being investigated for use of electronic devices to steal signs. Manfred said prior to his tenure other teams had been investigated for using electronic devices in games to steal signs.

Boston Red Sox under investigation for stealing signs from New York Yankees using Apple Watch

Jen McCaffrey

The Red Sox are already in trouble with a recent stretch of poor play, but now the club is in hot water with Major League Baseball.

According to a New York Times report, the Red Sox are under investigation for stealing signs from the New York Yankees and other teams by using an Apple Watch during games.

According to the Times, the Yankees filed a detailed report with the commissioner's office with video showing members of the Red Sox training staff and instant replay video operators allegedly stealing hand signals from opposing catchers and relaying which pitches Boston hitters should expect.

According to the Times:

"The Red Sox told league investigators said that team personnel scanning instant- replay video were electronically sending the pitch signs to the trainers, who were then passing the information to the players.

"The commissioner's office then confronted the Red Sox, who admitted that their trainers had received signals from video replay personnel and then relayed that information to some players -- an operation that had been in place for at least several weeks."

The report also notes that the Red Sox filed a report of their own against the Yankees claiming the team uses a YES Network television broadcast to steal opponents' signals.

The Times report notes that Red Sox outfielder Chris Young, a former Yankee, as well as team trainers were interviewed by the league. The Red Sox told investigators that manager John Farrell, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski or other front office members were not aware of the sign-stealing.

When asked for comment prior to Tuesday's game, Farrell said:

"Aware of the rule, electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout but beyond that the only thing I can say is that it's a league matter."

Dombrowski has not yet responded to a MassLive.com request for comment.

The Red Sox lost three of four games in New York in their most recent series against the Yankees.

* The Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Red Sox Journal: Even commissioner realizes games are too long

Bill Ballou

BOSTON — Commissioner Rob Manfred knows that baseball has to find a way to speed things up. He just hasn’t found a way to do it — yet.

“This has not been a good pace of play year,” Manfred said during his annual Fenway Park visit on Tuesday, adding, “The biggest issue is dead time. Pitchers taking too long to deliver the ball, mound visits — 32½ mound visits an inning.”

Or it seems like that, anyway.

The commissioner also said that the game has to look at tightening between-inning breaks as it risks losing fans at home who decide to tune away during a lengthy break.

Speed-up proposals were suggested last year and the Players Association has not, in general, been receptive. Manfred’s office has the power to put the changes in place for 2018 if it wishes, but the commissioner said he’d rather get the MLBPA to agree rather than simply act on his own.

Smith returns

Carson Smith’s long return from Tommy John surgery has finally brought him back to the major leagues. The right-handed reliever was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Tuesday and was in the bullpen to start the game.

Smith, 27, has a 3-5 record and 2.00 earned run average in 82 big-league appearances, all but three with the Mariners. He also has 13 saves.

In order to make room on the 40-man roster for Smith the Red Sox designated Kyle Martin for assignment. Martin spent most of the 2017 season in Pawtucket where he was 0-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 33 relief appearances. He also appeared in two major-league games for Boston.

Martin’s high school baseball coach in Austin, Texas, was former Sox reliever Calvin Schiraldi.

Devers sits

Dustin Pedroia was in the starting lineup at second base, batting second, and Xander Bogaerts was back at shortstop for a second straight night. With Pedroia in the lineup, Rafael Devers was on the bench for a second straight night with Eduardo Nunez taking over at third.

The nominee is ...

Rick Porcello is the Red Sox nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually since 1971 to the major-league player who best represents baseball through character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions.

The only two Boston players to have won the Clemente Award are Tim Wakefield and David Ortiz and they did it in back-to-back years, Wakefield in 2010 and Ortiz in ’11.

Probables announced

The series closes at 7:10 p.m. on Wednesday with Boston best starter in recent games, Doug Fister, going against Toronto’s Joe Biagini. Fister is 4-7, 4.19 overall but 4-5 with a 3.88 ERA as a starter. He has allowed only four earned runs in 23 innings in his last three appearances, good for a 1.56 ERA.

Biagini is 3-9 with a 5.01 ERA for the Jays. He is 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA lifetime versus Boston in 14 appearances. Biagini has made only one start against the Sox, however.

Pete’s Day

Manfred’s visit to Fenway was preceded by his participation in Pete Frates Day in Boston, honoring the former Boston College baseball player who has ALS and is the inventor of the Ice Bucket Challenge fundraiser to search for a cure for the disease.

Manfred was at Boston City Hall to speak along with the Frates family, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy, Mayor Marty Walsh and team chairman Tom Werner.

Nearly a special mark

Andrew Benintendi is very close to joining a pretty exclusive group. He has 19 home runs and 18 stolen bases; to date only two Red Sox rookies have had at least 20 of each. Ellis Burks was the first to do it with 20 homers and 27 steals in 1987.

Nomar Garciaparra had 30 home runs and 22 stolen bases on his way to winning Rookie of the Year honors in 1997.

Mookie Betts is just the third Boston batter ever, and first outfielder, with 40 or more doubles in three straight seasons. Wade Boggs did it seven straight times from 1985-91 and Jody Reed did it coincidentally with Boggs from 1989-91.

Explaining the delay

Manfred said his office merely followed procedure in waiting until after the Red Sox-Yankees series was over last weekend before suspending New York catcher Gary Sanchez for his part in an earlier brawl with the Tigers. Sanchez, suspended for three games, began serving his time on Monday.

Sanchez had appealed his original sentence of four games and got it reduced by one. Manfred said that when there are several suspensions from one incident, as was the case with the Yankees-Tigers fight, it can take some time to sort through all the appeals as there is just one hearing officer.

*Redsox.com

Hey 19! Red Sox prevail over Jays in marathon

Gregor Chisholm and Craig Forde

BOSTON -- Exactly six hours after Eduardo Rodriguez offered up the first pitch of Tuesday night's game vs. Toronto, Mookie Betts began sprinting, spurred by a short flair into center field off the bat of Hanley Ramirez and the few remaining souls at Fenway Park who sat through 19 innings of baseball.

After lacing a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame, Betts got on his horse when Ramirez followed him and didn't stop until he had put an end to a marathon affair with the Blue Jays in which Boston rallied in the ninth to push extras and continued on into the night thanks to a Jackie Bradley Jr. rifle throw to home plate to eliminate Jose Bautista on a double play in the 11th, before winning, 3-2, on Wednesday morning.

"At the time, I think things just kind of happened quickly," said Betts, who also made a terrific diving catch in the third and scored the tying run in the ninth. "I wasn't necessarily looking around to see or anything. I just turned around and saw that [Kevin] Pillar was on a full sprint in, and I just pretty much said, 'I don't think he's going to catch it.' And I trusted my instincts."

Coupled with the Yankees' loss to Baltimore, Boston improved its lead in the American League East to 3 1/2 games over New York. In terms of innings, Tuesday's game was the longest this season, eclipsing the Cubs' 5-4 win over the Yankees in 18 innings on May 7.

"Every game is important," Rodriguez said. "We need to win the game, whether [the Yankees] won or lost. That's all that matters. To be in first place, you've got to keep winning games."

Trailing by two with only three hits heading into the ninth, Boston managed to parlay two hits into two runs, forcing extras behind fielder's-choice RBIs from Ramirez and Mitch Moreland.

A strong outing from Marco Estrada went by the wayside in the process as the Blue Jays starter tossed seven scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and three walks while striking out three.

"It's draining," Estrada said. "You're out there, everybody's trying really hard to win this game, and when you come up short, it's frustrating. I don't think I've ever played in a 19-inning game, and I didn't even have to play the whole game. I just played seven innings. I feel bad for the guys that were out there for the entire game. It's hard. It's hard to take a loss like this."

Rodriguez, who has not picked up a win in the 10 starts since returning from the disabled list, was also solid, allowing two runs on six hits, striking out eight in six innings.

The Red Sox got 13 scoreless innings -- a franchise record for the bullpen -- from 11 relievers while Toronto used six bodies from the 'pen who were equal in their task until Chris Rowley faltered in his fourth inning by giving up a leadoff double to Betts and then Ramirez's game-winning bloop.

A Teoscar Hernandez sacrifice fly in the second inning got the Blue Jays on the board early, and Kendrys Morales' second home run in as many nights gave Toronto a 2-0 lead in the sixth.

The Blue Jays' previous longest game of the season was 15 innings against Boston back on July 18, while the Red Sox's previous high came just three days before that, when they went 16 vs. the Yankees.

"There's not a lot to say," Blue Jays acting manager DeMarlo Hale said. "Talking about 19 innings, grinding, battling, emotions, playing the game the right way. There's nothing to say to them. We're back at it tomorrow. Come in here and see how we are physically. We won't do much on the field. Get some treatment and we have an off-day on Thursday, so that should be good for us. I'm proud of them. They went out there and battled their [butts] off, and it's just unfortunate we were on the losing end."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Morales mashes monster shot: Morales continued his assault on the Red Sox with a sixth-inning moon shot that gave Toronto a little breathing room. Leading off the frame, the DH lifted an 0-2 fastball towards the Green Monster, leaving it in the first row of seats. His 27th home run of the season, and second of the series, was projected to travel 361 feet according to Statcast™ and left the bat with an exit velocity of 97.9 mph.

Long-arm of JBJ lays down law: The Blue Jays were on the verge of taking the lead in the 11th inning, after Bautista worked a leadoff walk and advanced to third behind a sac bunt from Kevin Pillar and an infield single from Michael Saunders, who was pinch-hitting for Darwin Barney. With one out, Justin Smoak lofted a fly ball to center field where Bradley caught it and came up firing home from 279 feet away, nailing Bautista to end the inning with a double play.

"I knew it was going to be a do-or-die situation," Bradley said. "So, I tried to line it up and make a good throw. At the distance I was, I wanted to get some momentum; I wanted to be quick and also accurate and put something on the ball."

QUOTABLE

"An outstanding job by every guy that came to the mound. Whether it was [Brandon] Workman's two innings of work, at the time Austin Maddox, who showed great poise, power stuff, good changeup. Then it continued on. Every guy that walked out to the mound did exactly what we needed them to do, with their backs against the wall having to make key pitches with men in scoring positions." -- Red Sox manager John Farrell

"I definitely have confidence in him. You don't get 35 saves not being good. He's an All-Star, and he's a strong character young man. You all go through some struggles at this level at times, and I'm sure he's going to bounce back." -- Hale, on closer Roberto Osuna, who picked up his 10th blown save and seventh since July 18

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

Osuna allowed two earned runs in the ninth inning, and his 10 blown saves are the most in the Major Leagues and the third most in Blue Jays franchise history. Duane Ward had 12 in 1989 and Joey McLaughlin had 11 in '83.

Tuesday's contest matched the longest game in Blue Jays' franchise history. Toronto also went 19 innings on July 1, 2016, vs Cleveland as well as on Aug. 10, 2014, vs. Detroit.

BETTS IN SHOW

Betts made a terrific diving play on Richard Urena's drive to right-center field to lead off the third, laying out to snatch the sinking liner just above the grass. The right fielder traveled 60 feet in only 3.5 seconds on a ball with just a 6 percent catch probability, making it Betts' second five-star catch of 2017.

"He's such an instinctual player and is extremely confident," Farrell said of Betts. "You're looking at a complete player. His entire skill set was on display tonight."

WHAT'S NEXT

Blue Jays: Right-hander Joe Biagini (3-9, 5.01 ERA) will take the mound for Toronto when this series comes to an end on Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Biagini is coming off arguably the best start of his career as he didn't allow a run over seven innings while striking out 10 vs. Baltimore.

Red Sox: Right-hander Doug Fister (4-7, 4.19 ERA) will get the start for the hosts on Wednesday. Since returning to the rotation after a stint in the bullpen, Fister has been one of the Sox's more consistent starters, going 4-2 with a 3.05 ERA in his last six starts. In two starts vs. the Blue Jays this season, he is 0-1 with a 4.82 ERA.

Kelly, Reed spearhead strong bullpen effort

Craig Forde

BOSTON -- While the Red Sox bats remained dormant and the club trailed, 2-0, on Tuesday night, two arms who have been lugging around mixed bags helped bridge the gap until the hosts could figure things out.

Relievers Joe Kelly and Addison Reed followed a solid effort from starter Eduardo Rodriguez with a scoreless inning each, looking extremely dominant in keeping the Sox alive until they were able to force extra innings with two runs in the ninth.

Ultimately, the efforts of the recently struggling duo gave Boston a puncher's chance that they cashed in on with their late rally, then the eventual walk-off in a 19-inning, 3-2 win over the Blue Jays.

"Every guy, from the seventh inning on, just made key pitches, had power stuff. It was a great team win tonight," manager John Farrell said.

In his nine previous appearances, Kelly had posted a 7.71 ERA, allowing 12 hits and five walks over 9 1/3 innings.

He came on in the seventh inning and needed just 10 pitches to record two strikeouts and a fly out.

Reed, acquired by the White Sox at the deadline, had gone 1-1 with a 5.93 ERA in 15 appearances since joining the club before Tuesday's outing in which he induced a fly ball and two groundouts on 16 pitches to the heart of the Blue Jays' lineup.

The rest of the Red Sox bullpen followed the lead of Kelly and Reed over the next 11 innings, most notably Brandon Workman and Austin Maddox, who threw two frames apiece in extra innings, allowing just one hit each.

"An outstanding job by every guy that came to the mound," Farrell said. "Whether it was Workman's two innings of work, at the time Austin Maddox, who showed great poise, power stuff, good changeup. Then it continued on. Every guy that walked out to the mound did exactly what we needed them to do, with their backs against the wall, having to make key pitches with men in scoring positions."

In total, 11 relievers came on for the Red Sox and combined for 13 scoreless innings, setting up the team for a big comeback victory.

Red Sox's Smith activated after TJ rehab

Craig Forde

BOSTON -- Sixteen months after he last appeared in a game for the Red Sox, reliever Carson Smith is once again available.

Prior to Tuesday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays, manager John Farrell announced that the right-hander had been activated after undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2016.

"Reported today, he's cleared," Farrell said. "He's still a little bit sore from being struck with the comebacker a couple days ago. But, we would expect him to be available here tonight."

The soreness that Farrell refers to came in Smith's last rehab outing with Triple-A Pawtucket, when the 6- foot-6 hurler got plunked by a comebacker by the first batter he faced.

"He got hit in the cheek," Farrell noted. "Below his belt, not the one above his neck. So, they took him out [as a precaution]."

Smith made his first rehab appearance with Double-A Portland on Aug. 5, and then made 10 appearances with Pawtucket, going a combined 1-2 with a 6.00 ERA in nine innings.

Farrell remarked that the club does not expect Smith's velocity to be exactly where it should be until next season, but he feels that things are in a good enough spot now that Smith can be a positive contributor should they be able to find opportunities to work him in at the right times.

"The velocity has been pretty consistent. It's been in the low 90s," Farrell said on Monday. "There's been good shape and action to the sinker and the slider as well. I think we would fully expect that his customary velocity wouldn't be there yet, and we wouldn't expect it to be until after a full offseason that he gets normal rest time and build up to Spring Training. So, that's where he's sitting right now, 90-93. The shorter, more frequent outings, the more he's got a chance to repeat his delivery, get to the mound, those are key."

* Bostonsportsjournal.com

Column: Watchgate more silly than serious infraction

Sean McAdam

As transgressions go, the Red Sox being found guilty of stealing signs via Apple Watches falls somewhere between scuffing baseballs, and…..just spitballing here, say, taking the air out of footballs.

Is it technically illegal? Sure, thanks to the use of electronic devices, which is expressly forbidden, with or without the express written permission of Major League Baseball.

Does it tip competitive balance or change game outcomes? Hardly. Especially, since the Red Sox did such a poor job of it.

First, they got caught, which is never good for business. Second, whatever information they purloined, they didn’t put to very good use. The Sox were a woeful 20-for-140 with runners in scoring position against the Yankees in 2017.

The old adage of “if you’re not cheating, you’re not trying,’’ needs to be updated. How about “if you’re not using the information to help you, don’t bother doing it in the first place.’’

As both Rob Manfred – who is decidedly objective – and Dave Dombrowski – who is not – each noted, the practice of sign stealing is practically as much a part of the game as chewing tobacco and batting practice. It’s been going on for decades and isn’t likely to cease because of this.

The difference this time, of course, is that the Red Sox employed technology to aid them, with video replay coordinators relaying information to the dugout via Apple Watches.

This sounds like something that might have been tried on an old episode of Get Smart (Google it, kids). The embarrassing thing is being caught. The second-most embarrassing thing is how little it helped. Perhaps Apple CEO Tim Cook could sue the Red Sox for damaging his brand.

Then again, the Apple Watch got mentioned more Tuesday than any single day since it was introduced several years ago. No such thing as bad publicity, and all that.

And it’s the use of technology that has the Red Sox brought up on charges here.

This, too, seems inevitable. Teams are always trying to find an edge and with more and more money at stake, no advantage is too small. Heck, the Red Sox hired sleep researchers from Harvard not long ago to better enable them to deal with jet lag and travel.

Using technology was merely the next logical step. Rather than employ someone to sprint between the clubhouse and the dugout, the Sox merely took advantage of what was available to them.

Does that make them unethical or simply post-modern?

The reason this rose to the level of an investigation is the teams involved. Do you think the Yankees would have put together a video dossier on the Minnesota Twins? Or the Colorado Rockies? Doubtful.

Manfred admitted as much when he took questions from reporters, noting that the allegations and counter- allegations are because of the “charged’’ atmosphere between the Sox and Yanks.

Dombrowski noted that the usual protocol in these instances is for one GM to call the other and essentially say: “We know what you’re doing…now, knock it off.’’

But this being the Red Sox-Yankees, we got an edited compilation of the Red Sox’ athletic trainers compulsively checking their watches in the dugout. It’s all very John Le Carre.

Where will this take us? Likely with some fines being doled out and some public reprimands made.

Meanwhile, my biggest fear is that this may lead to still more mound visits to guard against such nefarious goings-on in the future. And that may be the worse news to come out of all of this.

Carson Smith’s odyssey back to the big leagues takes an unexpected turn in 18th

Sean McAdam

Carson Smith waited a long time to return to a major league mound.

That’s what happens when you undergo 16 months of rehab following Tommy John surgery. There were fits and starts, some setbacks along the way, and some shoulder issues earlier this year.

It was an arduous journey, with no guarantee that Smith would ever arrive back to the big leagues. So when he was called upon in the 18th inning of a marathon between the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, Smith wasn’t about to get picky.

He was back and being given the ball in a major league game. And that was all that mattered, even if this wasn’t exactly how he had drawn it up.

“Not exactly,’’ said Smith with a smile, after the Red Sox’ 3-2, 19-inning win at Fenway early Wednesday morning. “It was a long time coming. It’s been 16 months and I had to wait 18 innings to get in there, but I could have waited any (amount of time). I was ready.’’

Smith was the 11th of a club-record 12 pitchers, was activated only two hours before game time, and after being hit in the backside by a comebacker in final rehab appearance in the minors Sunday, the plan was to not pitch him Tuesday night.

But as inning after inning passed, the Red Sox options lessened and finally, the Sox had no choice but to get him up, and eventually, in.

The fact that the game was in the balance made it all the better. This was not a case of too much, too soon.

“I’ve been in close games before,’’ said Smith. “I haven’t forgotten how to pitch. I’m a competitive guy. I was excited to get back out there. We had already run through (nine) pitchers out of the bullpen, so I was excited for my name to be called.’’

Smith was part of a parade of relievers who kept the Blue Jays scoreless. After starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed two runs in six innings, the Boston bullpen tossed 13 straight scoreless frames.

As if the rest of the circumstances of his return weren’t strange enough, after Smith threw his first pitch since May of 2016, Toronto third baseman Josh Donaldson became enraged over a called strike and got into a heated argument with home plate umpire Marvin Hudson and got himself ejected.

So, in the first at-bat against him in 16 months, Smith got to face two hitters in the same plate appearance as Miguel Montero took over for Donaldson. Smith got Montero to ground out to second for the first out.

“That’s never happened while I’ve been on the mound,’’ chuckled Smith. “So that was a first.’’

Smith then finished up the scoreless inning as the game dragged into the 19th.

Want more weirdness?

“The guy I faced in my (major league) debut, and it kind of felt like a debut again today, was Donaldson,’’ said Smith, recalling his first appearance in the big leagues, for Seattle against Oakland, then Donaldson’s team. “I’m pretty sure if you go back and watch the film, it was the exact same pitch (in 2014) and they called it a ball last time. So it was bittersweet to (have that happen).’’

Red Sox outlast Blue Jays in early-morning marathon

Sean McAdam

Wins have been hard to come by for the Red Sox in the last few weeks, but this? This was ridiculous.

On Tuesday night – and yes, Wednesday morning, too – they had to play the equivalent of more than two games just to earn one win and snap their three-game losing streak.

It took the second-longest game in Fenway Park history, 16 position players and a franchise-record 12 pitchers for the Red Sox to outlast the Toronto Blue Jays in 19 innings, 3-2.

The Sox were shutout for the first eight innings, and after rallying for two in the bottom of the ninth, were held scoreless for nine more before, finally, mercifully, Hanley Ramirez blooped a single into shallow center to score Mookie Betts from second.

The victory required 287 pitches by Red Sox pitchers alone, and eventually, they got the hang of thing: after allowing two runs to the Jays in the first six innings, the bullpen combined for 13 consecutive scoreless innings, buying time for the offense to eke out a run.

At times, it was reasonable to wonder if that run was ever going to materialize. The Sox stranded runners in the 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th innings. Finally, with Betts standing on second following a leadoff double in the 19th, Ramirez flared the ball into center.

“At the time, I think things just kind of happened quickly,’’ said Betts. “I wasn’t looking around to see or anything. I just kind of turned out and saw that (Toronto center fielder Kevin) Pillar was on a full sprint in and I just pretty much said, ‘I don’t think he’s going to catch it,’ and just trusted my instincts. And he didn’t.’’

That wasn’t the first alert baserunning play on the part of the Betts. In the ninth, with the Sox trailing 2-0 but with Andrew Benintendi at third and Betts at second and no out, Ramirez hit a chopper to third baseman Josh Donaldson.

Benintendi raced home and Donaldson decided to get the easy out at first, but as soon as he fired across the infield, Betts moved up from second to third. From there, he was able to scoring the tying run when the next hitter, Mitch Moreland, hit a grounder to second. Had Betts not advanced on the previous play, the Sox might have lost in nine.

“I wasn’t sure if (Donaldson) was going to go for Benny at home,’’ Betts recounted. “But once I saw that he decided to go to first, I took a couple of steps back toward second and then I just told myself I had to get to third to give us a better chance to score there. I was just trying to be aggressive.’’

Betts couldn’t have known that there would be another three-plus hours and 10 more innings of baseball before things got resolved.

Two innings later, Jackie Bradley Jr. had to preserve the tie. With one out and Jose Bautista at third representing the go-ahead run, Justin Smoak hit a fly ball to center. Bradley, knowing that he would have to make a strong throw home, circled in back of the ball in order to give himself a running start.

“I knew it was going to be a do-or-die situation,’’ said Bradley, “so I just tried to line it up and make a good throw. It’s very important (to line up behind the catch and gain momentum). At the distance I was, I definitely wanted to get some momentum. I wanted to be quick and also accurate and kind of put something on the ball and not be too aggressive and let the game speed up on me.’’

The throw arrived at the plate on one hop, beating Bautista by a good 10 feet. Catcher Sandy Leon only needed to apply the tag to complete the double play.

From there, the game became an endurance test for everyone.

“Obviously, everybody’s tired,’’ said Betts. “But you just have to stay strong mentally. Wherever the mind goes, the body follows. We were able to tough it out.”

‘This was a mentally tough win,’’ said Bradley. “We had to fight to get back into it (in the ninth) and then everybody was grinding on both sides and we were able to edge them out tonight…this morning.’’

UPDATED: Red Sox caught stealing signs vs. Yankees

Sean McAdam

Investigators from Major League Baseball determined the Red Sox stole signs from opposing catchers in games against the Yankees and other teams, the New York Times reported this afternoon.

The sources for the report were “several people briefed on the matter.”

The investigation began two weeks ago after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman filed a complaint with the commissioner’s office. The complaint included video the Yankees shot of the Red Sox dugout during a three-game series in Boston last month.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, filed a counter-protest, alleging that the Yankees were doing some sign-stealing of their own through the use of one of their YES Network cameras.

From the report:

The Yankees, who had long been suspicious of the Red Sox stealing catchers’ signs in Fenway Park, contended the video showed a member of the Red Sox training staff looking at his Apple Watch in the dugout and then relaying a message to players, who may have then been able to use the information to know the type of pitch that was going to be thrown when they were hitting, according to the people familiar with the case.

Baseball investigators corroborated the Yankees’ claims based on video the commissioner’s office uses for instant replay and broadcasts, the people said. The commissioner’s office then confronted the Red Sox, who admitted that their trainers had received signals from video replay personnel and then relayed that information to some players — an operation that had been in place for at least several weeks.

How did the Red Sox pull it off?

The Red Sox told league investigators said that team personnel scanning instant-replay video were electronically sending the pitch signs to the trainers, who were then passing the information to the players.

As part of the inquiry, baseball investigators have interviewed the Red Sox team trainers and outfielder Chris Young, a former Yankees player. The Red Sox told league investigators that the team’s manager, John Farrell, general manager, Dave Dombrowski, and other front-office officials were not aware of the sign-stealing operation, the people said.

The video provided to the commissioner’s office by the Yankees was captured during the first two games of the series and included at least three clips. In the clips, the team’s assistant athletic trainer, Jon Jochim, is seen looking at his Apple Watch and then passing information to outfielder Brock Holt and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was injured at the time but in uniform. In one instance, Pedroia is then seen passing the information to Young.

Updated from Sean McAdam at Fenway Park:

Commissioner Rob Manfred, who was visiting Fenway Park Tuesday as part of a previously scheduled arrangement unrelated to the developing story, met with the media.

“I take any issue that affects the play of the game on the field extremely seriously,” said Manfred. “I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective, when you have the kind of rivalry that the Yankees and Red Sox have, I guess it’s not shocking that you could have charges and counter- charges like this. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides.

‘I want to do that quickly. I think that’s important that I get it resolved. The only thing I can tell you about repercussions is, to the extent that there was a violation on either side — and I’m not saying there was — we are 100 percent comfortable that it is not an ongoing issue. If it happened, it is no longer happening.”

Manfred noted that there is no actual rule in baseball to forbid sign-stealing.

“It’s been a part of the game for a very, very long time,” said Manfred. “To the extent that there was a violation of the rule here, it was a violation by one or the other that involved the use of electronic equipment. It’s the electronic equipment that creates the violation….Sign stealing — put the electronics to the side — is not an uncommon practice and in fact, there is not a rule against it.”

Manfred said it was his expectation that the investigation would be finished by the end of the regular season. Asked if it was possible that the Red Sox — or Yankees — could have wins vacated, he indicated that was highly unlikely.

“Could it happen? Is there the authority to do that? I think the answer to that is ‘yes.’ ” Manfred said. “Has it happened with this type of investigation? I know the answer is ‘no.’ The reason for that is, it’s very hard to know what the actual impact on any particular game was from alleged violations.”

Dombrowski, meanwhile, seemed largely bemused by the matter and attempted to portray it as little more than gamesmanship on the part of the Yankees and intimated that the Yankees were responsible for leaking the story to the Times on the day that Manfred was due to be in Boston.

“I will say that sign-stealing has been going on in baseball for a long time,” Dombrowski said. “I’ve been in the game for 40 years; I’ve known of it for 40 years…Do I think sign-stealing is wrong? No. I guess it depends how you do it. But no, I’ve never thought it was wrong. It’s an edge. People are trying to win however they can.”

Dombrowski said over the course of his career in the game, his teams have been accused “numerous times” of sign stealing, but stopped far short of a league investigation.

“Usually, the general manager (of the aggrieved team) calls you and says, ‘Here’s a situation I’d like to discuss with you,’ ” said Dombrowski. “I’ve had that happen maybe 10 times in my career. I’m not really sure why (this has risen to an investigation). Everybody has to do what they think is the right thing to do.”

Earlier Tuesday afternoon, Farrell said he was aware of the investigation and knew the rule forbidding the use of electronic devices in the dugout. He declined further comment, pointing out the issue was now “a league matter.”

The charge by the Yankees is ironic, given the Red Sox’ massive struggles with runners in scoring position against the Yankees. For the season, the Red Sox were 20-for-140 with runners in scoring position against New York, indicating that whatever information the Sox’ derived from their illicit operation didn’t help them much.

Final: Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2 (19 innings)

Sean McAdam

It took 16 position players, a dozen pitchers and 19 innings, but the Red Sox finally snapped their three- game losing streak.

What a journey.

Hanley Ramirez singled home Mookie Betts in the bottom of the 19th inning, giving the Red Sox their most dramatic – and most-needed – walk-off win of the year, 3-2 over Toronto.

The Red Sox had rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game and send it to extra innings. After mustering just three hits through the first eight innings, the Sox used a walk from Andrew Benintendi, a double by Betts and two groundouts to push two runs across against Toronto closer Roberto Osuna.

Red Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez saw his winless streak extend to 10 starts, but turned in his best outing in some time. He allowed two runs over six innings, but showed improved command (one walk) while harnessing the power of his fastball for eight strikeouts.

He also did a far better job mixing in his secondary pitches early in the game and avoiding the big inning that has plagued many of his starts this season.

The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Teoscar Hernandez delivered Kevin Pillar with a sacrifice fly. Toronto doubled its lead in the sixth when Kendrys Morales homered into the Monster Seats for his second homer in as many nights.

GAME NO.: 139 WHO: Red Sox (77-61) vs Toronto Blue Jays (64-74) WHEN: 7:10 p.m. WHERE: Fenway Park TV: NESN RADIO: WEEI (93.7 FM) PITCHERS: Eduardo Rodriguez (4-5, 4.40) vs. Marco Estrada (7-8, 5.23) BOX SCORE: MLB Gameday

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

Tonight marked the fifth straight game in which the opposition scored first. Obviously, that’s not optimal for any team, and it’s especially true for the Red Sox, who are not a quick-strike offensive team. This was Eduardo Rodriguez’s best start in some time and encouraging for the Red Sox, who have watched him struggle over the last few weeks, giving up four or more runs in three of his last four outings. Rodriguez allowed two runs over six innings while issuing just one walk to go with eight strikeouts. Rodriguez largely got ahead of hitters and was slightly more economical than he’s been in the recent past. Another good sign: he started to incorporate his secondary pitches earlier than usual and stayed away from the big innings that have dogged him. The Sox’ last hit came back in the third inning. Since that last hit — a one-out single by Dustin Pedroia — Marco Estrada retired 15 of the last 16 hitters he faced. That’s quite a feat – especially for someone who came into tonight with a 5.23 ERA. Jackie Bradley Jr’s defensive brilliance knows no bounds. In the top of the 11th, with the potential go- ahead run at third, Bradley did everything right. As Justin Smoak hit a fly ball to medium center, Bradley circled back and got in position for a running start. He caught the ball on the run, and then used his momentum to uncork a perfect, one-hop throw just to the third base side of home to cut down Jose Bautista as part of an inning-ending double play.

PRE-GAME NOTES:

The Red Sox activated reliever Carson Smith from the 60-day disabled list Tuesday afternoon, marking his return from Tommy John surgery performed in May of 2016. Smith made 11 rehab appearances with Portland and Pawtucket, allowing six earned runs on 10 hits with six strikeouts and six walks. He held opponents scoreless in six of his final seven outings. To make room for Smith’s activation, the Red Sox designated pitcher Kyle Martin for assignment. SERIES TO DATE: This is the middle game of the three-game series. The Jays pounded the Sox, 10-4, Monday to snap a string of three straight Red Sox wins against them. The two teams met a week ago in Toronto and the Red Sox pulled off a sweep of the Jays. The Red Sox have a commanding 10-4 series lead. Strangely, the Blue Jays will be back at Fenway in another three weeks.

WHERE THINGS STAND: Boston’s lead continues to be whittled away, with now just a 2.5 game cushion over second-place New York. The Sox need to take advantage of a long nine-game homestand, during which they will host three teams with losing records. The Jays are in last place in the division, having lost 7 of their last 11.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Rodriguez has struggled of late, with four or more earned runs allowed in three of his last four outings. He gave up five runs on 10 hits in just five innings in his last start. In his career, he’s struggled against Toronto, with a 6.15 ERA. Estrada has had a difficult season, though he’s pitched well in the past against the Sox. Dustin Pedroia, back in the lineup, is 11-for-26 in his career against Estrada.

STAT OF NOTE: Mookie Betts became only the third Red Sox player ever with 40 or more doubles in at least three consecutive seasons, following Wade Boggs (1985-1991) and Jody Reed (1989-1991).

LINEUPS:

Red Sox

Nunez 3B Pedroia 2B Benintendi LF Betts RF Ramirez DH Moreland 1B Bogaerts SS Vazquez C Bradley Jr. CF

Blue Jays

Pearce 1B Donaldson 3B Morales DH Bautista RF Pillar CF Barney 2B Hernandez LF Maile C Urena SS

*ESPNBoston.com

Dave Dombrowski isn't acting like an exec of a team under investigation

Scott Lauber

BOSTON -- Dave Dombrowski has worked in baseball for four decades. When he started in 1978, as a 22- year-old administrative assistant with the Chicago White Sox, the Milwaukee Brewers were in the American League, Montreal still had a team, and Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. were trailing their fathers around a clubhouse.

Oh, and teams were trying to steal each other's signs.

So after the New York Times published a report Tuesday that the Boston Red Sox used an Apple Watch to read and relay signs given by New York Yankees catchers in games earlier this season, Dombrowski failed to see what all the fuss was about. He responded to questions with verbal shrugs, smiles and a few chuckles -- not at all like the president of baseball operations of a team that is under investigation by Major League Baseball.

"Do I think sign stealing is wrong? No, I don't," Dombrowski said. "I guess everybody in the game has been involved with it throughout the years. People are trying to win however they can. It's an edge they are trying to gain. I guess it depends how you do it, but no, I never thought it was wrong."

Ah, yes, it's that last part that put this issue in the hands of the commissioner's office.

Dombrowski estimated that he has been involved in "maybe 10" sign-stealing disputes in his career. In each case, he said, the situation was resolved when one general manager told the other to put an end to the espionage, which typically consisted of a runner on second base peeking at the catcher's signs and surreptitiously relaying them to the batter.

In a piece for ESPN in 2004, Tim Kurkjian relayed a story from Dombrowski’s days with the White Sox in the '80s. A member of the organization would sit in the manager’s office, watch the center-field camera angle on the TV broadcast and flip a switch that would light up a 25-watt refrigerator bulb on the scoreboard to indicate whether a fastball or an offspeed pitch was coming.

If the Red Sox had simply done it the old-fashioned way, the Yankees likely would have simply changed their signs and moved on. But the Sox's hitters seemed to be getting the intelligence too quickly. During an Aug. 18-20 series in Fenway Park, the Yankees aimed cameras at Boston's dugout, and assistant athletic trainer Jon Jochim was spotted looking at an Apple Watch and passing information to various players, a source confirmed.

It worked, too. The Red Sox went only 14-for-112 (.125) with a runner on second base in 19 games against the Yankees this season. But in the series in which they were watched by the Yankees, they went 9-for-24 (.375). The Yankees filed their complaint to MLB, and in a recently completed four-game series at Yankee Stadium, the Red Sox went 0-for-22 with a runner on second base.

Sign stealing isn't against MLB rules, commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday. But using binoculars or electronics to spy on an opponent is prohibited. Manfred indicated that he will take into account using a potential punishment to serve as a deterrent for teams that try to do what the Red Sox reportedly did, though Dombrowski sounded confident that the Sox won't have any of their eight victories against the Yankees revoked, a penalty that would impact a tight AL East race.

Red Sox players and staff declined to comment on the Times report. Even Dombrowski, who took pleasure in noting that Hall of Fame pitcher-turned-broadcaster Dennis Eckersley nodded affirmatively when Dombrowski mentioned the longstanding prevalence of sign stealing, suddenly clammed up when it came to the use of electronic devices.

"I'm not going to get into the specifics of that," he said. "I really don't have any additional comment."

But Dombrowski wasn't above a not-so-veiled accusation that the Yankees leaked the story to the Times on a day they knew Manfred would be in Boston. After all, Dombrowski said, he has known about MLB's investigation for "10 to 12 days." The Yanks also won three of four games against the Sox last week in New York. Unless they meet in the playoffs, the teams won't play again until next season.

Dombrowski was quick to note that the Red Sox have filed a counter-complaint against the Yankees that alleges that New York used YES Network cameras to spy on the Red Sox. What he failed to say was that the Red Sox's complaint was filed Tuesday, a timely response to the Yankees' decision to go public with their accusation.

In other words, if the Yankees want to get into an old-fashioned spitting match with the Red Sox, Dombrowski is perfectly old-fashioned enough to spit back -- with a smile, of course.

"I've been involved in different things, and I've talked to other general managers, and I know that [the Yankees] have been involved in those things, too," Dombrowski said. "I'm not really sure why [it was handled this way]. Everybody has to do what they think is the right thing to do."

To Dombrowski, the right thing isn't always ethical. He seems to believe sign stealing falls into that category, and it stands to reason that the practice of snooping on the opponent would get more sophisticated with the times.

"We probably do something wrong every once in a while," Dombrowski said. "I've had my wrist slapped a few times throughout my career -- not just with the Red Sox. Sure, we do things wrong at times."

Dombrowski was asked point blank if he believes this was one of those times.

"I never felt like [sign stealing] is wrong," he said. "Put it this way: I was never brought up that it was wrong."

Forty years in the game appear to have cemented that opinion, regardless of the commissioner's verdict.

*CSNNE.com

Rob Manfred ties Red Sox, Yankees' sign stealing allegations to rivalry

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — Commissioner Rob Manfred on Tuesday acknowledged that both the Red Sox and Yankees are being investigated for sign-stealing but did not detail any of those investigations. A conclusion is expected before the regular season ends.

Manfred said that it’s his understanding that general managers usually settle sign-stealing issues amongst themselves, rather than the story becoming public. Gamesmanship between the sport’s most famous rivals, then, may be at play.

“I take any issue that affects the play of the game on the field extremely seriously,” Manfred said. "I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective. When you have the kind of rivalry that the Yankees and the Red Sox have, I guess it’s not shocking you could have charges and counter charges like this. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides. I want to do that quickly. I think that’s important, that we get it resolved. The only thing that I can tell you about repercussions is that to the extent that there was a violation on any either side, and I’m not saying that there was… We are 100 percent comfortable that it is not an ongoing issue.”

A punishment for one or both clubs would be made with deterrence in mind, Manfred said, but indicated vacating wins is not likely. That’s mostly because the impact of stealing signs can be very hard to determine.

There is no rule against stealing signs, but there is a rule against the use of electronic devices.

Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, like manager John Farrell, did not deny or confirm whether the Sox stole signs. Dombrowski, who seemed somewhat amused, noted the ongoing prevalence of sign stealing within baseball.

“No, I don’t,” Dombrowski said when asked if sign stealing is wrong. “I guess it depends how you do it."

Dombrowski hinted he believed that the Yankees leaked the story. Manfred gave a scheduled press conference at Fenway Park — not because of the sign story, as originally reported by The New York Times, but because of his previously planned trip around the league.

Manfred said the Red Sox have been "100 percent, fully cooperative with us."

Farrell offers no defense or explanation for report on sign-stealing

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — Red Sox manager John Farrell offered no defense and no explanation on Tuesday after a report in The New York Times pegged the team as sign-stealers, swiping signals from the Yankees via the help of an Apple watch.

Farrell, speaking in his 4:20 p.m. usual pregame press conference, said the cheating case -- which embroils his training staff as well as some players, all the while impugning his own credibility -- is a league matter.

“Aware of the rule, electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout,” Farrell said. “But beyond that the only thing I can say is it’s a league matter at this point.”

Per the report, Farrell and Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski were unaware of the scheme.

The Times reported that MLB investigators determined the Sox did indeed steal the Yankees’ signs after an inquiry that started roughly two weeks ago. Yanks GM Brian Cashman filed a complaint the Times referred to as detailed. The complaint included “video the Yankees shot of the Red Sox dugout during a three-game series in Boston last month.”

The commissioner’s office then confronted the Red Sox, who admitted that their trainers had received signals from video replay personnel and then relayed that information to some players — an operation that had been in place for at least several weeks.

The Red Sox responded in kind on Tuesday, filing a complaint against the Yankees, claiming that the team uses a camera from its television network, YES, exclusively to steal signs during games.

Dustin Pedroia was involved, per the report.

The video provided to the commissioner’s office by the Yankees was captured during the first two games of the series and included at least three clips. In the clips, the team’s assistant athletic trainer, Jon Jochim, is seen looking at his Apple Watch and then passing information to outfielder Brock Holt and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was injured at the time but in uniform. In one instance, Pedroia is then seen passing the information to Young.

More light should be shed in a 5:45 scheduled press conference at Fenway Park with Rob Manfred.

Drellich: If Red Sox lose division, don't compare them to 2011

Evan Drellich

BOSTON — If the Red Sox lose the division, don’t call it a collapse. Don’t compare this team to 2011's, unless you're talking about the most basic commonalities: there was a lead in September and they didn’t hold it.

The Sox have never been head and shoulders better than the Yankees, at least not since the season got rolling. The Sox soared in August while the Yanks were trying to coax Aaron Judge out of a prolonged slump.

The 2011 Sox had the majors’ best offense, just as the 2016 version did. If you entered September believing these Sox, the 2017 version, would run away with the division, you have already realized your folly.

Don’t be too sad. Who doesn’t enjoy a little down-to-the-wire jockeying?

Nonetheless, you should have known better. The smoke-and-mirrors trick the Sox offense pulled off in August was pretty convincing, though.

Eduardo Nunez will prove human, and has started to. Rafael Devers has hit a point where there’s reason to wonder if he’d start at third base in any potential playoff games. Christian Vazquez was otherworldly.

So at a certain point — now, yesterday, three months ago — it comes down to Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. Andrew Benintendi has carried his weight, and Jackie Bradley Jr.’s been on and off, but a better performer than both Betts and Bogaerts offensively.

“Just not being consistent,” Betts said Monday after a 1-for-5 performance in a 10-4 loss to the Blue Jays. “Not swinging at good pitches. I mean, pretty much doing a whole bunch of things you’re not supposed to do.”

The starting pitching has been a rock all year. To think now that it's truly falling apart is over the top. The rotation has been a bedrock, and that's reason to believe in the group on a whole — even if Porcello’s proclivity for allowing home runs is distressing.

“Our guys are well aware of where we stand and what's transpired particularly over the last couple of weeks,” John Farrell said. “We're going through a stretch here where a couple turns through the rotation have been not as consistent and when we fall behind early in ballgames, the difficulty in being able to dig out of some of those holes is there. Of late, and this is probably more surprising than anything, is the number of balls that are going out of the ballpark. That hasn't been there all year and the last couple of weeks, it's been more dramatic certainly.”

Porcello took full blame for Monday’s loss, and said the Sox got their rear ends handed to them. They did. He did, certainly, with 10 hits surrendered in 5 1/3 innings, including three home runs — one to a No. 9 hitter who entered the day batting .182.

It was the kind of game that, even in a sport that avoids the rah-rah, seemed to be begging for a team meeting. Farrell said the Sox had one just four days earlier, although declined to detail it.

“There has been one. That was as recently as four days ago,” Farrell said. “The thing that we do frequently is that when we prepare for a city, for a team, for an opponent, we do have an opportunity to meet and those are regular.”

Maybe yelling and screaming would do no good at this point. Hitting more would.

The division’s far from locked up. If the Yankees grab it, don’t make comparisons to 2011. Those Sox looked like juggernauts. These Sox look like a good team that tricked people into thinking they're more.

Red Sox feel Yankees going out of their way to harrass them

Evan Drellich

BOSTON -- The Red Sox may well have cheated in an attempt to steal signs. That does not eliminate a feeling for the Sox that the Yankees have been going out of their way to mess with them -- as a matter of retribution or simply regular business under team president Randy Levine.

SPYGATE II

It’s not just allegations of sign stealing via an Apple Watch that the Yankees have brought forth.

After Doug Fister’s outing Friday at Yankee Stadium in a 4-1 Red Sox win, the Yankees went to MLB with a complaint about what they thought to be an earpiece -- some sort of impermissible audio device -- that Fister was using, baseball sources with knowledge of the complaint told CSNNE.

The purported audio device was a mouthguard that Fister was wearing wrapped around his ear.

The YES Network’s telecast captured Fister walking around in the Sox dugout in the top of the eighth inning, once his outing was over, with the mouthpiece lodged around his ear. It did give the appearance of a bulky hearing aid, but also was not a mystery that required MLB's involvement to solve.

A review of the telecast did not show Fister ever took the mound Friday with the mouthguard around his ear.

Fister, who is scheduled to start Thursday vs. the Blue Jays, was not in the clubhouse by the time the media arrived after a 19-inning, 3-2 Sox win early Thursday morning.

*WEEI.com

Red Sox 3, Blue Jays 2: No Apple products required as Red Sox outlast Blue Jays in 19 innings for pivotal win

John Tomase

Their reputation battered by the embarrassment of signing-stealing allegations earlier in the day, the Red Sox took the field on Tuesday night looking to put a more troubling story to bed.

It took a while. A loooong while. But they eventually delivered.

The last-place Blue Jays shut them out for eight innings, but luckily the two sides had 11 more in them before the Red Sox escaped with a 3-2 victory in 19 innings that ended their losing streak at three while pushing their division lead back to 3 1/2 on the Yankees, who blew a 6-1 lead against the Orioles before being walked off by Manny Machado.

Mookie Betts led off the 19th with a double and scored on Hanley Ramirez's bloop single to center, as a day that started with melodrama ended with some good old-fashioned drama.

The specter of . . . "scandal" doesn't feel like the right word, because it's unclear the Apple Watch story will have legs, so let's call it "shame" . . . hung over the proceedings from the start. Moments before manager John Farrell took the podium for his pregame press conference, the New York Times broke the story that the Red Sox had been busted for using Apple Watches to steal signs and relay them to players on the field against the Yankees.

The gambit had failed wretchedly -- the Sox hit just .143 with runners in scoring position against New York -- but it didn't change that it had happened. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski seemed most put out by the leak, which he blamed on Yankees gamesmanship. He would've preferred the two sides handle the matter privately.

That served as the backdrop for what had become a crucial game against the worst team in the division. The Red Sox took 10 of their first 13 against Toronto this year, but now they faced the possibility of losing the series after dropping Monday's opener.

They could've lost this one in regulation, their listless offense wasting Eduardo Rodriguez's best start in a month. Instead, they scratched out two runs in the ninth before embarking on an extra-innings odyssey that included:

* Jackie Bradley throwing out Jose Bautista at the plate with a missile from center to end the 11th.

* Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson being ejected in the 18th inning in the middle of an at-bat for arguing a called strike.

* Carson Smith returning from Tommy John exile to toss a scoreless 18th.

* Not much else. The two bullpens dominated, with the Red Sox setting a franchise record with 13 scoreless innings of relief.

The game took so long, Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland aged a year, from 31 to 32, when the clock struck midnight on his birthday.

The victory was doubly impactful, thanks to Baltimore's victory, which plenty in the Red Sox clubhouse and front office would undoubtedly view as karma.

In that sense, the signing-stealing story isn't really the problem. The Red Sox fessed up, they'll take their punishment, and it will probably go away.

The September losing streak? That's the story that could have staying power if they're not careful. On Tuesday night, they took a step in the right direction.

It just took a while.

Bradford: Finally, a real rivalry has returned

Rob Bradford

Tuesday was a bad day for the Red Sox. There's no doubting that.

It sure looks like they cheated. And it sure looks like they were caught.

But my guess is that there is a bigger story to come out of this. This was the day the long-manufactured rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees become more of a reality than it has in years and years and years.

The New York Times story on the Red Sox using an electronic device (the Apple Watch just became relevant) to steal signs is detailed and undoubtedly accurate. John Farrell and his club have to wear that. It immediately begs the question: How upset did the embarrassment make Red Sox ownership and Dave Dombrowski.

The answer was, pretty upset … at the Yankees.

From top to bottom, the Red Sox believe they did nothing everybody else wasn't also doing. Sure, getting caught is getting caught. Yet once the Yankees went to Major League Baseball to call them out on it (which, according to Buster Olney, was way back on July 18), the world officially changed between the two organizations.

From the Red Sox perspective, this was akin to Michael Pineda brandishing pine tar. You know why the Red Sox didn't initially complain about the foriegn substance, even when it's obvious for everyone to see? Because most everybody else is doing it, and usually the finger is going to be pointed right back.

Same thing here. And, predictably, that finger was pointed immediately back. The Red Sox surfaced their own evidence that the Yankees were cheating in some sort of similar fashion and the back-and-forth was officially on.

Bunting in the first inning? Not an unwritten rule. Going to the commissioner with this sort of thing. Unwritten rule. At least according to Dombrowski.

"Usually the general manager calls you and says, 'Here's a situation I'd like to discuss with you,' and I've had that happen maybe 10 times in my career," the president said. So, why didn't Brian Cashman take the familiar route, especially considering the road it ultimately was going to lead down? "Everybody has to do whatever they think is the right thing to do."

That leads us to Tuesday.

With the evidence from both sides still kicking around the MLB offices for 48 days, the Times article finally dropped. From the Red Sox perspective, this was next-level chicanery from the Yankees. You know how we know? Dombrowski basically told us so.

"The Yankees decide they want to give it today, for whatever reason," he told the media. "I think maybe because it just so happened the commissioner is in town today. I'm not sure there is a direct correlation to that. He was not in town for this. This was not why he was in town. He is in town just on a normal visit."

Then came the man who was in town, Rob Manfred.

The Commish gave off the vibe that this whole thing was more of a nuisance than nightmare, reiterating the understanding that this was usually handled GM-to-GM.

"I am told, and I've never been a general manager, but I'm told sign stealing issues are often resolved by one general manager calling another general manager and saying, 'Hey, I think you're doing X and if you're doing it, you oughta stop doing it,'" he said. "And that has happened in the past. I don't have firsthand knowledge of that, but people I know, respect, trust have told me that that's the case."

For 47 days, you got the idea that this was going to be a behind-closed-doors slap on the wrist. Nope.

"We would prefer not to have these sorts of issues at all, No. 1," Manfred explained. "No. 2, to the extent that we have them, we'd prefer to investigate them, deal with them privately, and be done with them. Didn't happen that way. I'm a realist when it comes to these matters, and we're going to deal with what we have."

Let's highlight some of the key verbiage:

"The Yankees decide they want to give it today, for whatever reason."

"One general manager calling another general manager."

"Deal with them privately, and be done with them."

Hey, the Yankees wanted to go all-in, so -- according to the Red Sox -- they did.

There's a very good chance when Manfred's ruling comes down both sides could get an MLB smack down. That won't be the story. It will be a reminder that cheating in baseball has amped up. (Why do you think there have been more catchers visits than every this season?) But not the story.

This, my friends, is the story, as told by a tweet from actor Nate Corddry:

"Finally a reason for these two teams to hate each other again!"

We've got ourselves a genuine Sox scandal, plus Dombrowski and Rob Manfred speak Hour #4 and we're sticking with the Sox cheating story, including hearing from GM Dave Dombrowski and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

Dave Dombrowski: Leaking of sign-stealing story possibly not a coincidence

Rob Bradford

It wasn't difficult to read between the lines when it came to Dave Dombrowski's thoughts on the New York Times story stating that Major League Baseball was investigating the Red Sox for using an electronic device (Apple Watch) to steal signs. (To read John Tomase's column on the story/investigation, click here.)

Meeting with the media prior to the Red Sox' game with the Blue Jays Tuesday night, Dombrowski would not elaborate on such things such as if he felt uniform personnel did anything wrong, or if the Red Sox as an organization was at fault. He did, however, make it very clear that there were parts of the situation that didn't sit well with him.

Dombrowski revealed that the MLB investigation didn't just involve the Red Sox, with the Yankees also coming under scrutiny regarding their sign-stealing practices. A source confirmed the Times' information that the Red Sox had presented the commissioner's office with evidence that New York also was guilty of similar infractions.

The Red Sox president of baseball operations then insinuated the timing of the story was no coincidence, with the Yankees potentially taking advantage of MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's trip to Bosotn.

"This is not new. This has been something that has been going on for 10-12 days. Something like that. Maybe two weeks," Dombrowski said. "The Yankees decide they want to give it today, for whatever reason. I think maybe because it just so happened the commissioner is in town today. I'm not sure there is a direct correlation to that. He was not in town for this. This was not why he was in town. He is in town just on a normal visit."

Dombrowski also clearly took issue with how the complaint was handled by the Yankees.

When asked if he had been involved in sign-stealing accusations before, the president said, "Numerous times." But he then added, "Usually the general manager calls you and says, 'Here's a situation I'd like to discuss with you,' and I've had that happen maybe 10 times in my career."

Asked if he was surprised the issue had gotten to this level, Dombrowski went on to say, "I'm not really sure why it is, personally. Because I have been involved in different things and I've talked to other general managers and I know that they've been involved in those things too. I'm not really sure why." So, was he surprised similar protocol wasn't taken by the Yankees upper management? "Everybody has to do whatever they think is the right thing to do."

Dombrowski did go on to say that the act of stealing signs has always been part of baseball, although he wouldn't elaborate as to if this case was different because of the use of an electronic device (which was the only rule that was reportedly broken).

"Do I think sign-stealing is wrong? No, I don't," he noted. "I guess it depends how you do it. But no I never thought it was wrong. I guess everybody in the game has been involved with it throughout the years. People are trying to win however they can. It's an edge they are trying to gain. Sometimes your sophistication of signs can make a difference. So no, I never felt like it's wrong. Put it this way, I was never brought up that it was wrong."

Rob Manfred: Everyone steals signs, but use of technology goes too far

John Tomase

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred sounds like he wishes the Yankees and Red Sox had privately handled their dueling accusations of electronic sign stealing, too.

Speaking in a prescheduled visit to Fenway Park that just happened to end up coinciding with a New York Times report of MLB preparing to punish the Red Sox for stealing signs with an Apple Watch, Manfred acknowledged this could've been resolved differently.

"We would prefer not to have these sorts of issues at all, No. 1," he said. "No. 2, to the extent that we have them, we'd prefer to investigate them, deal with them privately, and be done with them. It didn't happen that way. I'm a realist when it comes to these matters, and we're going to deal with what we have."

Manfred made it clear that while stealing signs is acceptable, doing so with technology is not.

"I take any issue that affects the play of the game on the field extremely seriously," Manfred said. "I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective. When you have the kind of rivalry the Red Sox and Yankees have, I guess it's not shocking you could have charges and counter-charges like this. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides. I want to do it quickly, I think it's important we get it resolved. The only thing I can tell you about repercussions is that to there was a violation on either side, and I'm not saying there was, but to the extent there was a violation on either side we are 100 percent comfortable that it's not an ongoing issue that if it happened, it is no longer. I think that's important from an integrity perspective going forward."

While generally declining to discuss the league's investigation beyond lauding the Red Sox for their cooperation, Manfred explained that sign stealing itself isn't illegal.

"We actually do not have a rule against sign stealing," he said. "It has been a part of the game for a very, very long time. To the extent that there was a violation of the rule here, it was a violation by one or the other that involved the use of electronic equipment. It's the electronic equipment that creates the violation. I think the rule against electronic equipment has a number of policy reasons behind it, but one of them is we don't want to escalate attempts to figure out what a pitcher is going to throw by introducing electronics into that mix."

So what repercussions might the Red Sox face? Manfred implied that they won't be vacating any wins -- "Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? I think the answer is, I know the answer is no" -- but any potential punishments should be viewed as deterrents for the rest of the league.

"When I think about punishment, I think you need to think about deterrents," Manfred said. "I think you need to think about how the violation has affected the play on the field, and I think you need to think about how it's affected the perception of the game publicly. All of those things are something that you have to weigh in terms of trying to get to appropriate discipline."

Manfred sounded in agreement with Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, who wishes the two sides had handled it privately.

"I am told, and I've never been a general manager, but I'm told sign stealing issues are often resolved by one general manager calling another general manager and saying, 'Hey, I think you're doing X and if you're doing it, you oughta stop doing it,' and that has happened in the past," Manfred said.

Tomase: Red Sox busted for stealing signs and they deserve to pay a stiff price

John Tomase

So what to make of this New York Times report that the Red Sox admitted stealing signals against the Yankees with Apple watches and relaying them to hitters at the plate?

Ugh.

Some will undoubtedly play the "everyone does it" defense, but we didn't let the Patriots get away with that one during Spygate, so why should the Red Sox be any different?

They've filed a counter-grievance, confirmed by WEEI.com's Rob Bradford, that the Yankees used YES Network feeds to do the same thing, but as described by the Times, it sounds like the Red Sox took things next-level.

According to the story, Major League Baseball determined that a Red Sox trainer was looking at his Apple watch in the dugout, where he had received information on the sign from another member of the organization presumably watching the catcher on TV.

The trainer than passed the information to Red Sox players, including Dustin Pedroia, who relayed it to a runner on second base, who could then signal the batter. It should be noted that these details are hazy.

If that sounds convoluted and involved, it undoubtedly is, but sign-stealing has long been an art, and advances in technology have inevitably encouraged more extreme envelope pushing. The chicanery didn't accomplish much. As ESPN's Scott Lauber noted, the Red Sox went 20-for-140 with runners in scoring position against the Yankees this year, which is a .143 average.

In any event, the Yankees presented video to the league and the Red Sox admitted their part when confronted, though they immediately accused the Yankees of a similar scheme involving a dedicated camera on their flagship television network.

On a team that has battled likability issues all season, a cheating scandal isn't going to help. The Red Sox are scuffling, having lost three straight and eight of 12 entering Tuesday's game with the Blue Jays, their lead over the Yankees in the American League East down to 2 1/2 games (2 in the loss column).

There's no word yet on possible punishments, though the Times notes some in the game are pushing for the Red Sox to forfeit a number of victories (unlikely), while others expect fines, loss of draft picks, or both.

The story says neither Red Sox manager John Farrell nor president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was aware of the scheme, though Farrell later clarified to the Boston Globe that while he knew the team was stealing signs, he didn't know about the technology involved.

No one comes out of this clean. It's a poor reflection on the leadership of Farrell and Dombrowski regardless of their involvement -- either they knew about it and ignored it, or it happened under their noses without their knowledge.

While no one questions the rampant practice of sign-stealing, there are right ways and wrong ways to do it, and the Red Sox crossed a line. It's OK to steal signs with your eyes, but that's where it's supposed to stop.

Thinking back to Deflategate, it's similar to the difference between Aaron Rodgers hoping referees wouldn't notice an over-inflated football or Eli Manning scuffing his up to his liking before a game, to the Patriots doctoring them post-inspection. A line is clearly crossed.

We'll see what this means for the Red Sox going forward. Because they've owned up on their end, it's hard to imagine this mushrooms into a full-blown scandal a la Deflategate, which the Patriots turned into World War III.

But it's also hard to see the Red Sox escaping unscathed. They got nailed, and now they deserve to pay a price.

*NESN.com

Red Sox Notes Red Sox Notes: 19-Inning Win Could Be Season-Defining Moment For Boston

Joshua Schrock

If the Boston Red Sox win the 2017 World Series title, they might look back on their 19-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park as their season-defining moment.

The Red Sox came into Tuesday’s game at Fenway Park having lost three straight and four of their last five, causing their lead in the American League East to shrink to 2.5 games.

And for eight innings Tuesday, it looked like Boston’s division lead would continue to dwindle as it trailed 2-0 heading into the ninth, and the New York Yankees held an early lead on the Baltimore Orioles.

But the Sox rallied just in time, tying the game with a two-run rally in the ninth, setting up what would become a long night at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox and Blue Jays dueled deep into the Boston night, as neither team’s offense could get much going against the host of relievers that piled out of the bullpen.

The innings ticked by — 15, 16, 17, 18 — and still, there was no resolution.

Boston used 12 pitchers, and its bullpen tossed 13 scoreless innings. Carson Smith made his long-awaited return to the mound, and still, the game remained tied at two.

The Yankees and Orioles, who started two hours later than the Sox and Jays, finished when Manny Machado crushed a two-run walk-off home run to ensure Boston’s AL East lead would stay at 2.5.

And then, after New York’s loss was finalized, a switch flipped. Hector Velazquez got Ezequiel Carrera to line out to right field to end the top of the 19th and send Boston’s offense to work.

Mookie Betts led off the 19th with a bullet double to left field, and Hanley Ramirez followed with a walk- off RBI bloop single to give the Red Sox a 3-2 win they badly needed.

One night can change everything in baseball. And as his teammates chased him around the field, it was clear Ramirez’s heroics could be the catalyst for something big on Yawkey Way, all the Red Sox have to do is capitalize.

Let’s take a look at more notes from Red Sox-Blue Jays.

— Chris Young snapped an 0-for-20 streak against left-handed pitching when he singled off Matt Dermody in the 13th inning.

— Mookie Betts made a ridiculous catch Tuesday, and according to Statcast, he had a catch probability of only six percent.

— Smith pitched in a Major League Baseball game for the first time in 480 days, recording a strikeout in a scoreless inning of work.

— The Red Sox used 12 pitchers Tuesday night, which is the most since the stat started being kept in 1913.

— Boston set an all time record with 13 scoreless innings from its bullpen.

*The New York Times

Red Sox Used Apple Watches to Help Steal Signs Against Yankees

Michael F. Schmidt

WASHINGTON — For decades, spying on another team has been as much a part of baseball’s gamesmanship as brushback pitches and hard slides. The Boston Red Sox have apparently added a modern — and illicit — twist: They used an Apple Watch to gain an advantage against the Yankees and other teams.

Investigators for Major League Baseball have determined that the Red Sox, who are in first place in the American League East and very likely headed to the playoffs, executed a scheme to illicitly steal hand signals from opponents’ catchers in games against the second-place Yankees and other teams, according to several people briefed on the matter.

The baseball inquiry began about two weeks ago, after the Yankees’ general manager, Brian Cashman, filed a detailed complaint with the commissioner’s office that included video the Yankees shot of the Red Sox dugout during a three-game series between the two teams in Boston last month.

The Yankees, who had long been suspicious of the Red Sox’ stealing catchers’ signs in Fenway Park, contended the video showed a member of the Red Sox training staff looking at his Apple Watch in the dugout. The trainer then relayed a message to other players in the dugout, who, in turn, would signal teammates on the field about the type of pitch that was about to be thrown, according to the people familiar with the case.

Baseball investigators corroborated the Yankees’ claims based on video the commissioner’s office uses for instant replay and broadcasts, the people said. The commissioner’s office then confronted the Red Sox, who admitted that their trainers had received signals from video replay personnel and then relayed that information to Red Sox players — an operation that had been in place for at least several weeks.

The Red Sox responded in kind on Tuesday, filing a complaint against the Yankees claiming that the team uses a camera from its YES television network exclusively to steal signs during games, an assertion the Yankees denied.

It is unclear what penalties, if any, Commissioner Rob Manfred will issue against the Red Sox and whether he will order a more expansive investigation to determine the extent of the Red Sox’ sign-stealing system. It is also unclear how he will proceed with the countercomplaint.

“We will conduct a thorough investigation on both sides,” Mr. Manfred said to reporters at Fenway Park, where he was present for an unrelated event. “We’re 100 percent comfortable that it is not an ongoing issue.”

Mr. Manfred said he believed he had the power to punish teams in connection with such cheating.

“Could it happen? You know, is there the authority to do that? I think the answer to that, under the major league constitution, is yes,” he said. “Has it ever happened with this type of allegation? I think the answer is — I know the answer is no.

“And the reason for that,” he added, “is it’s just very hard to know what the actual impact on any particular game was of an alleged violation.”

Boston’s manager, John Farrell, said he was aware that the players were trying to steal signs but said that he did not know they were using electronics.

“I’m aware of the rule,” Mr. Farrell said. “Electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout. Beyond that, all I can say is it’s a league matter at this point.”

Stealing signs is believed to be particularly effective when there is a runner on second base who can both watch what hand signals the catcher is using to communicate with the pitcher and can easily relay to the batter any clues about what type of pitch may be coming. Such tactics are allowed as long as teams do not use any methods beyond their eyes. Binoculars and electronic devices are both prohibited.

In recent years, as cameras have proliferated in major league ballparks, teams have begun using the abundance of video to help them discern opponents’ signs, including the catcher’s signals to the pitcher. Some clubs have had clubhouse attendants quickly relay information to the dugout from the personnel monitoring video feeds.

But such information has to be rushed to the dugout on foot so it can be relayed to players on the field — a runner on second, the batter at the plate — while the information is still relevant. The Red Sox admitted to league investigators that they were able to significantly shorten this communications chain by using electronics. In what mimicked the rhythm of a double play, the information would rapidly go from video personnel to a trainer to the players.

As part of the inquiry, baseball investigators have interviewed the Red Sox team trainers and outfielder Chris Young, a former Yankees player. The Red Sox told league investigators that Mr. Farrell; Boston’s president for baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski; and other front-office officials were not aware of the sign-stealing operation, the people said.

In the first game of the August series in question, the Red Sox prospered the first time they put a runner on second. It occurred in the second inning, and Rafael Devers promptly hit a home run, giving the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox went 5 for 8 in that game when they had a man on second.

Photo

Yankees pitcher Sonny Gray pitching in the first inning against the Red Sox on Aug. 20. The Red Sox won that game, 5-1. Credit Adam Glanzman/Getty Images Their success when they had a runner on second in the other two games of the series was mixed: 1 for 6 in the second contest and 3 for 10 in the third.

The video provided to the commissioner’s office by the Yankees was captured during the first two games of the series and included at least three clips. In the clips, the Red Sox assistant athletic trainer, Jon Jochim, is seen looking at his Apple Watch and then passing information to outfielder Brock Holt and second baseman Dustin Pedroia, who was injured at the time but in uniform. In one instance, Pedroia is then seen passing the information to Young.

The Red Sox’ tactics will add to the longstanding rivalry with the Yankees. Outside New England, the case will be reminiscent of the Spygate controversy that erupted a decade ago when the world-beating Patriots were found to have violated N.F.L. rules by spying on opponents to gain an edge.

Mr. Manfred is in a difficult position as he decides how to discipline the team and whether to continue investigating.

In Spygate, the N.F.L. commissioner, Roger Goodell, hastily took away a first-round draft pick and fined the Patriots and their coach, Bill Belichick, before conducting a thorough investigation. When more evidence of cheating later emerged, Goodell was accused of trying to minimize the damage and protect one of the sport’s premier franchises.

In baseball, the most infamous incident involving sign stealing played out in 1951, when the New York Giants overcame a 13 ½-game deficit over the final two months of the season to catch the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Giants went on to beat the Dodgers in a playoff for the pennant.

Fifty years later, The Wall Street Journal revealed that the Giants had spies at the Polo Grounds who used a telescope to steal signs from the opposing catcher, which were then relayed to Giants players from the bullpen.

In 1997, teams accused the Mets of planting small cameras near home plate in Shea Stadium to steal signals. The Mets denied that they had used the cameras to try to do so, and the league did not take any action.

More recently, the Philadelphia Phillies faced sign-stealing accusations in 2011. Several teams logged complaints with the commissioner’s office that the team used binoculars and other unauthorized methods to steal signs. Major League Baseball never imposed sanctions on the Phillies.

*The New York Daily News

Red Sox caught using an Apple Watch to steal signs from Yankees

Mike Mazzeo

BALTIMORE — First, SpyGate. Now, iGate.

The Boston Cheat Party is back at it again.

MLB investigators have determined that the Red Sox were using an Apple Watch to steal catchers’ signs from the Yankees during their series at Fenway Park in August, sources confirmed to the Daily News.

“It was something we suspected was going on,” Brett Gardner said.

The Sox, who admitted wrongdoing after being approached by the league, then accused the Bombers of stealing signs via the YES Network. The Yankees strongly denied that accusation, with one source calling it “complete nonsense.”

“No chance,” Joe Girardi said.

It is unknown what type of penalties Boston may face, but commissioner Rob Manfred said he wanted to get the issue resolved as quickly as possible.

“The only thing that I can tell you about repercussions is that to the extent that there was a violation on either side — and I’m not saying that there was — to the extent that there was a violation on either side,” Manfred told the AP on Tuesday. “We are 100 percent comfortable that it is not an ongoing issue — that if it happened, it is no longer happening.”

Manfred added: “We actually do not have a rule against sign-stealing. It has been a part of the game for a very, very long time. To the extent that there was a violation of the rule here, it w as a violation by one or the other that involved the use of electronic equipment. It’s the electronic equipment that creates the violation.”

Brian Cashman filed a complaint with the league last month. Video provided by Cashman on at least three separate occasions confirmed the Yankees GM’s claims. Boston’s scheme apparently had been going on for weeks, and the Bombers were suspicious of it for a while.

“This has been a concern of mine for a long time,” Girardi said. “What we do to combat catchers having to go out all the time. Something I’ve been speaking out on a long time. Headsets are needed. There has to be a way to protect signs.”

Dustin Pedroia, Brock Holt, Chris Young and a Red Sox trainer were among those involved in relaying signs from the Apple Watch.

Yankees use homers to erase deficit in 7-4 win over Orioles Boston went 5-for-8 with a runner on second during the first game of the series. Runners at second have a clear path to relay catchers’ signs to hitters in the batter’s box.

The Patriots were penalized by the NFL for SpyGate back in 2007. Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 while the team was slapped with a $250,000 penalty and the loss of its draft pick for the following season.

“I think players doing things on the field is OK,” Girardi said. “We talk to our catchers. It was a focus of ours in spring training: having multiple signs, not having to run out to the mound. I still get irritated when they have to run out to the mound, because I think it slows the game down when you want to put a pitcher in a rhythm.”

Sign-stealing has been part of the game for as long as the game has been around.

Aaron Judge ends HR drought, Yankees place Aaron Hicks on DL The most famous example was Bobby Thomson’s “The Shot Heard Round the World” in the 1951 playoffs series between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 2001, the Wall Street Journal reported the Giants were part of an elaborate scheme to make the World Series.

The News, in a editorial at the time, broke it down like this: “A lookout man would stand behind the right- field fence at the Polo Grounds and peer through a pocket telescope toward home plate, some 500 feet away, to see the secret hand signals the Dodgers’ catcher was giving the pitcher about what kind of pitch would be thrown next.

“Pressing a doorbell-like device connected by a wire to a buzzer in the Giants’ dugout, the spy would signal a bench coach, who would then signal the third-base coach, who would signal the hitter.

“The Giants began their sign-stealing late in 1951 — coinciding with an incredible winning streak that brought them from far behind to tie the Dodgers for the pennant — and continued it in the teams’ three- game playoff for the title,” the Journal reported.

In 1997, Bobby Valentine and the Mets were accused of using a small camera to spy on catchers.

The Mets used cameras next to the dugout to take pictures of the opposing third-base coach, manager and pitcher throughout the game. After the game, they tried to break down the signs the other team used to run a certain play.

The Phillies noticed the Mets’ cameras and complained. Valentine defended the cameras, saying “I don’t know if that’s cheating. It’s more like scouting.”

Most recently, the Phillies were caught in 2010 when bullpen coach Mick Billmeyer was seen on camera using binoculars from the bullpen in Coors Field.

“We were not trying to steal signs,” Phillies manager Charlie Manuel told AP at the time. “Would we try to steal somebody’s signs? Yeah, if we can. But we don’t do that. We’re not going to let a guy stand up there in the bullpen with binoculars looking in. We’re smarter than that.”

The Yankees trail the Red Sox by 3½ games in the AL East. The Bombers finished 11-8 vs. Boston in 2017. They lost two of three to the Red Sox in that August series at Fenway.

“It’s the competitive world we live in,” Girardi said. “Every team is trying to get an advantage. Electronics make things easier, more accessible, and more dangerous.”

*The New York Post

Yankees bust Red Sox in high-tech cheating scandal

Dan Martin, George A. King III, Ken Davidoff and Joel Sherman

BALTIMORE — The Yankees and Red Sox might be done playing each other this regular season, but they’re still fighting.

A rivalry that has seen almost everything over the years now includes sign-stealing — and Boston almost certainly will be penalized by the Commissioner.

The Yankees accused the Red Sox of using electronics to steal signs during a series at Fenway Park last month and the Yankees sent video to the league revealing the actions, according to sources.

The Red Sox admitted to the wrongdoing after an investigation by MLB, which was first reported Tuesday by the New York Times.

“The Red Sox have been 100 percent fully cooperative with us in this investigation,’’ MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday at a previously scheduled press conference at Fenway Park.

In response to the Yankees’ actions, the Red Sox filed a counter-complaint that the Yankees have used YES Network cameras to spy on them, as well — which Joe Girardi adamantly denied.

In the Yankees’ complaint, they alleged members of the Red Sox’ training staff relayed information from video personnel to players using an Apple Watch.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman sent the league a clip from the first two games of the Yankees’ Aug. 18-20 series in Boston.

The video, according to the report, showed trainer Jon Jochim, who received the information on his Apple Watch while he sat in the dugout, passing the information to Brock Holt and Dustin Pedroia, who in at least one instance passed the information to ex-Yankee Chris Young.

“I’m not going to comment on what’s been written or any of that, but this has been a concern of mine for a long time,” Girardi said before the Yankees faced the Orioles at Camden Yards.

Manfred acknowledged an “ongoing investigation” involving both teams.

“What I can tell you is this: I take any issue that affects the play of the game on the field extremely seriously,” Manfred said. “I do believe that this is a charged situation from a competitive perspective when you have the kind of rivalry that the Yankees and the Red Sox have, I guess it’s not shocking you could have charges and countercharges like this. We will conduct a thorough investigation of the charges on both sides. I want to do that quickly. I think that’s important that we get it resolved.’’

Boston claimed to the league that manager John Farrell, general manager Dave Dombrowski and other top members of the organization were not aware of the scheme.

“[I’m] aware of the rule that electronic devices are not to be used in the dugout, but beyond that the only thing I can say is that it’s a league matter at this point,” Farrell said at Fenway.

MLB rules don’t prohibit stealing signs, but do prohibit using electronics to do so.

“We assume that everyone’s doing it, just to protect ourselves,” Girardi said. “Now, I’m not saying that everyone is doing it. But I think, as a team, that everyone tries to do something.”

Asked if the Yankees were included, Girardi said: “You can assume what you want.”

MLB has determined no players will be disciplined and Manfred indicated the Red Sox would not vacate any victories.

Some Yankees said they were not shocked by news of the investigation.

“It was something we suspected was going on,” Brett Gardner said. “I don’t want to say I was suspicious. I think there’s certain teams over the course of a season or a series or two seasons, teams that maybe have a higher average against you or hit a lot better against you with runners in scoring position, things like that.’’

Chase Headley said he heard “rumblings” of impropriety during the series.

“There’s a line that can be crossed on how you do that,” Headley said. “The technologically aspect is the biggest thing. It’s a fine line. There’s so many cameras out there and so much information available. It’s how you use it. I don’t think anyone’s surprised.”

But neither he nor Girardi believed it would add fuel to the rivalry between the teams.

“Do I think it’s right? No,” Headley said. “But do I want to beat the Red Sox more now? No.”

The issue isn’t just a matter of being unfair, it also involves pace of play, which the sport is trying to address.

“I think electronics makes things easier, more accessible and more dangerous,’’ said Girardi, who added that electronics could speed things up. “If you can use electronics for other things, I think you ought to be able to use them somehow in the game to communicate where just a few people know it.”

And the manager categorically denied that the Yankees had used YES Network cameras to cheat against the Red Sox.

“No chance,” Girardi said. “We’re being accused of looking over the camera well, I think. The guy gave signs that [first-base coach] Tony Pena could see, too. I’m just saying no, we’re not doing that.”

*The Toronto Sun

Osuna's blown save sees Blue Jays fall in 19 innings

Steve Buffrey

BOSTON - The Blue Jays suffered a 19th nervous breakdown on Wednesday morning.

Boston DH Hanley Ramirez hit a bloop single to centre field in the 19th inning (in a game that started Tuesday night) to bring in Mookie Betts from second and defeat the Jays 3-2. It marked the 14th walk off loss for the Jay this season and third in the last five. Betts lead off the inning with a double that went off the Green Monster in left field. Both hits were off Toronto reliever Chris Rowley.

The Red Sox went through 12 pitchers in the game, tying an AL record, and the Jays seven. For Boston, it was their 10th walk off win, the most since 2013. Toronto is now 5-13 in extra inning contests this year.

Toronto closer Roberto Osuna picked up his Major League-leading 10th blown save on Tuesday night, ruining a masterful start by Marco Estrada, who threw seven solid innings, giving up only three hits and no runs. But Boston, trailing 2-0 in the ninth, rebounded with two runs to tie it and force extra innings.

“This is a strong-charactered young man. He’s got 35 saves, he’s going through a little bit of a tough stretch here but this is what this game will do. This game will definitely test your character, your resolve and he’s in that moment and I’m sure he’s going to bounce back,” Jays acting manager DeMarlo Hale said of Osuna. “I definitely have confidence in him. You don’t get 35 saves not being good and he was an all-star.”

“He’s going to be just fine,” added Estrada, when asked about Osuna’s struggles. “The guy’s one of the best closers in the game. He’s just hit a rough patch. We all do. I went through one, I’ve been going through one, so it’s all part of the game. He’ll understand that. He’s young, he’s going to be in this game for a very long time. I think he understands, he’s got a good head on his shoulders. These things happen. It’s hard to take. No matter what, no matter how long you’ve been in this game, it’s hard to take regardless. Maybe I’ll talk to him tomorrow and just make sure he’s okay. I’m sure he’s fine. It’s just hard to take right now. It would have been a little easier to take if we would have pulled it off but these things happen.”

Estrada has allowed just two earned runs in 17.1 innings pitched (1.04 ERA) over three starts against the Red Sox this season. He credited his catcher, Luke Maile, with calling a great game against the Sox.

“I felt really comfortable out there with him,” said Estrada. “I haven’t seen him in a long time and picked off right where he left off so just being comfortable with him, I felt really good out there. I liked the way I was throwing fastballs, locating most of them. Elevated when I needed to. I didn’t really like my change up too much, even though I got some outs on it. If I locate the fastball, everything else will come with it. Just got to keep doing it.”

Hale had praise for his young relief staff who only gave up six hits from the 10th inning on.

“You think about, it’s a two-run game for 19 innings and in this park. There was some pretty good pitching going on from both sides,” Hale said. “The young kids came in and made some very good pitches and kept the game going. I tip my hat to them. But you know collectively when you talk about the team, they did leave some (scoring) opportunities out there, they made some very good plays, we made some good plays as well so it was one of those games you look back and, for me, it’s about the effort these guys put forward for 19 innings. Losing is tough, but the effort I think builds character.”

The Jays took a 1-0 lead in the first when left-fielder Teoscar Hernandez flew out to deep centre to score Kevin Pillar from third. Pillar had doubled. Estrada got out on a bases-loaded jam in the second when he managed to get Jackie Bradley Jr. to ground out to second. DH Kendrys Morales hit his 27th homer of the season to lead off the sixth, over the Green Monster in left, to put Toronto ahead by two.

Darwin Barney had three hits, including a double. Osuna gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Red Sox fought back to tie the game 2-2, taking the win away from Estrada. For some reason, the Jays did not pinch hit for the light-hitting catcher Luke Maile in the ninth with one out and two on. Maile struck out, and struck out in all four at-bats. The Jays had a great chance to take the lead in the 11th when Justin Smoak hit a pop to centre with one out and Jackie Bradley Jr. gunned down Jose Bautista at home plate for the inning-ending double play.

The Jays had runners at second and third in the 17th inning but Boston lefty Fernando Abad struck out Raffy Lopez to end the threat.

The Blue Jays’ 23 strike outs set a franchise record.

Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson was ejected in the 18th inning after home plate umpire Marvin Hudson called a strike that Donaldson didn’t like. As he went back into the box, Donaldson obviously said something and was thrown out of the game, but not before he gave it to Hudson. Miguel Montero came in to finish the at-bat and grounded out to second.

*The Toronto Star

Blue Jays fall to Red Sox in 19-inning marathon

Laura Armstrong

BOSTON—Six hours and 19 innings after the first pitch between the Blue Jays and the Red Sox was tossed on Tuesday night, Toronto was a loser once again.

The Jays were physically and emotionally drained by the early hours of Wednesday morning, walked off at Fenway Park for the second time this season in a contest that turned on Roberto Osuna’s 10th blown save of the season.

Up 2-0 in the ninth inning, Osuna gave up a pair of runs on two hits and a walk. He now tops the majors in blown save chances.

The relief quartet of Tom Koehler, Luis Santos, Matt Dermody and Chris Rowley then held the Red Sox scoreless until the 19th inning, when Mookie Betts doubled and a Hanley Ramirez blooper to centre cashed in the winning run.

“You’re out there, everybody’s trying really hard to win this game and when you come up short, it’s frustrating,” said starter Marco Estrada, whose seven innings felt like a distant memory by the time the Ramirez hit gave Boston the 3-2 win.

“I don’t think I’ve ever played in a 19-inning game and I didn’t even have to play the whole game, I just played seven innings,” Estrada continued. “I feel bad for the guys that were out there for the entire game. It’s hard. It’s hard to take a loss like this. Anytime you go extra innings and you lose it, it’s not a good feeling. But to go 19 innings, I feel bad for the guys that were out there.”

It was just the third 19-inning game in Jays history, and marked their 14 walkoff defeat of 2017.

Boston had managed to get just two runners into scoring position through the first eight frames against Estrada and reliever Dominic Leone, who combined to allow just three hits before Osuna entered.

Only two pitchers in Jays history have blown more than 10 saves in a season: Duane Ward (12, 1989) and Joey McLaughlin (11, 1983).

DeMarlo Hale filled in for Jays manager John Gibbons for the fourth straight game. Gibbons, who left the team on Saturday in Baltimore to take care of unspecified personal business, is likely to rejoin the club on Friday, general manager Ross Atkins said.

“We’re just in support,” Atkins said. “Something he needs to (attend to in) his personal life. We know it’s something serious and we’re here to support.”

Hale started Teoscar Hernandez in left field and the callup scored Kevin Pillar with a sacrifice fly in the second inning, his first RBI as a Blue Jays’ player giving Toronto a 1-0 lead.

After four homers and 14 hits in Monday night’s 10-4 win in the series opener, Blue Jays batters struck out a franchise-high 23 times against 12 Red Sox pitchers. Kendrys Morales hit the lone home run, a solo shot off Eduardo Rodriguez in the sixth. It was the fifth long ball and 13th RBI of the road trip for Morales.

Estrada kept his team in the game, allowing two singles and a double over seven shutout innings, striking out three and walking three. The bullpen would toss 11 total innings on the night; it has posted a 2.41 ERA over six games at Fenway Park this year.

Toronto generated five hits of its own through the final nine innings but couldn’t capitalize; the team lost Josh Donaldson as its frustration mounted, ejected in the 18th for arguing a called strike with home plate umpire Marvin Hudson.

Hale called the defeat unfortunate but praised the effort his players put in, saying it is losses such as this that build character within a group.

As for Osuna, he struggled with execution for a second straight game, Hale said. But the everyday bench coach said he maintains confidence in the young man.

“He’s going through a tough stretch here, but that’s what this game will do,” Hale said. “This game will definitely test your character and your resolve. He’s in that moment and I’m sure he’s going to bounce back”.

In Estrada’s mind, Osuna is “one of the best closers in the game” despite his recent rough patch. The 34- year-old veteran expects him to be in baseball for a long time; as such, these tough spots will happen.

“It’s hard to take,” Estrada said. “No matter what, no matter how long you’ve been in this game, it’s hard to take regardless. Maybe talk to him tomorrow and just make sure he’s okay. I’m sure he’s fine. It’s just hard to take right now. It would have been a little easier to take if we would have pulled it off but these things happen.”

*Associated Press

Hanley Ramirez's walk-off blooper gives Red Sox win in 19th inning

BOSTON -- The Red Sox staged their own impromptu Boston marathon and wearily won it, adding a game to their American League East lead on an eventful day at Fenway Park.

Hanley Ramirez hit an RBI single in the 19th inning as Boston outlasted the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2 in a game that spanned six hours and ended early Wednesday.

"That was a team win right there," Ramirez said. "Sometimes it's not going to be easy. There's a lot of things in our way, but nothing's going to stop us from continuing to where we want to go and what we want to be. We want to be a champion."

About 700 fans stayed until the end to see Boston win the longest game in the majors since July 2016, when the Cleveland Indians beat Toronto 2-1 in 19 innings. The Red Sox forced extra innings by rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland was 31 years old when his RBI grounder tied the contest at 2-2 in the ninth; he turned 32 when his birthday came at midnight, and he celebrated with a win.

Boston increased its division lead to 3½ games over New York. But the Yankees still made it a rough day for their longtime rival.

On Tuesday, The New York Times reported the Red Sox admitted to Major League Baseball they used an Apple Watch to steal signals from opposing catchers -- including the Yankees -- and relay them to Boston players. While swiping signs has long been part of the game, using electronic devices to do it is against the rules.

Commissioner Rob Manfred happened to be at Fenway for the game as part of a previously planned visit.

This was the second-longest game at Fenway, which opened in 1912. The Red Sox lost to the Seattle Mariners 8-7 in 20 innings in 1981; that game was suspended after 19 innings when it went past 1 a.m., due to an American League curfew rule, and it resumed about 18 hours later.

The fans who stuck around this time enjoyed an encore of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the 14th, then a timely number to start the 19th, with the Rolling Stones' hit "19th Nervous Breakdown."

Boston used 12 pitchers against the Blue Jays, tying an American League record set a day earlier by the Los Angeles Angels.

"Just an outstanding job every guy that came to the mound," Boston manager John Farrell said.

Hector Velazquez (3-1) picked up the win. Chris Rowley (1-2) lost in his fourth innings of relief. Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. helped save it when he threw out Jose Bautista at the plate to end the top of the 11th, after Bautista tried to score on a fly ball.

"It's a two-run game for 19 innings? In this park?" said Toronto bench coach DeMarlo Hale, filling in as acting manager for the fourth game in a row. "There was some pretty good pitching going on both sides."

After crossing with the winning run, Betts and the rest of the Red Sox still had enough energy to circle around for Ramirez, who led a brief chase into shallow right field before his teammates tracked him down to celebrate another walk-off win.

Kendrys Morales hit his 27th homer for Toronto, which took a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth. Roberto Osuna entered looking for his 36th save, but he ended up blowing a chance for the 10th time.

Osuna walked Andrew Benintendi to start the ninth and Betts doubled. Benintendi scored when Ramirez grounded out, which allowed Betts to take third. Moreland then hit a sharp grounder to second that scored Betts.

Morales led off the sixth with a homer off Eduardo Rodriguez for a 2-0 lead.

Toronto starter Marco Estrada held Boston to three hits over seven shutout innings.

"I don't think I've ever played in a 19-inning game, and I didn't even have to play in the whole game," Estrada said. "I feel bad for the guys that were out there for the entire game."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Blue Jays: Toronto manager John Gibbons is away from the team attending to a personal matter.

Red Sox: Activated RHP Carson Smith (Tommy John surgery) from the 60-day disabled list. Manager John Farrell said Smith was still a little sore after taking a line drive off his leg during his final rehab start over the weekend, but he was cleared to play. Smith pitched a hitless 18th.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: RHP Joe Biagini (3-9, 5.01 ERA) had a career-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings on Friday in a no-decision against the Baltimore Orioles.

Red Sox: RHP Doug Fister (4-7, 4.19) is 0-1 in two starts against Toronto this season.