If it weren’t for what followed, Alfredo Simon’s fourth inning balk could have been quite the point of controversy.
With Marco Scutaro hitting a one-out double and moving to third on a Carl Crawford ground out, the Red Sox needed Mike Aviles to get a hit, or at least reach base to get Jacoby Ellsbury a shot.
Or so they thought.
Instead what they got was a balk from Simon, bringing home a celebrating Marco Scutaro and tying the game without another hit. Normally, given the importance of this game, that would be a huge event—the sort deserving of plenty of talking-head attention should the Sox eventually win. Luckily, though, Mike Aviles would end up singling, making it something of a moot point.
Jon Lester, meanwhile, has returned to form after allowing the 2-run shot in the last inning, retiring the Orioles in order to preserve the Red Sox’ new-found tie