Tough call costs Red Sox first place in AL East

Daniel Nava called out at home on a play where he looked very safe.

(NESN)

In the bottom of the 8th inning of tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox, with the score 2-1 to the Rays, Red Sox pinch runner Daniel Nava was on third base with one out when Brandon Snyder hit a fly ball. Nava tagged and raced home, sliding in under the knee of Rays catcher Jose Molina.

Here’s the play:

He appeared to get in before the tag, but home plate umpire Jerry Meals had other ideas. Meals called Nava out, ending the inning, and causing just about everyone inside Fenway Park to lose their collective minds.

It’s certainly a close play, but Meals did himself no favors by being directly behind the catcher, making it all but impossible to see Nava’s foot touch the plate.

After the play, Red Sox manager John Farrell came out to argue, and was summarily ejected by Meals.

UPDATE: After the game, the AP’s Ken Powtak talked to umpire Jerry Meals about the play, and Meals understands he made the wrong call. Here’s what Meals said about it:

What I saw was: Molina blocked the plate and Nava’s foot lifted. But in the replays, you could clearly see Nava’s foot got under for a split second and then lifted, so I was wrong on my decision. From the angle I had, I did not see his foot get under Molina’s shin guard.

The game ended 2-1 to the Rays, who took over first place in the AL East