Red Sox outfielder on game-ending assist: ‘That was my first time’

TORONTO — For as long as baseball has existed, a hard line drive that makes it through the infield and touches the outfield grass has almost always resulted in a base hit.

But “almost” is the operative word there, and Wednesday night Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu ended the game on a play that flipped the sport’s conventional wisdom on its head.

Related Articles

With two outs in the bottom of the ninth Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle allowed what should have been a routine single to right field by Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk, but the ball was hit hard enough that by the time Abreu fielded the ball in shallow right, the slow-footed Kirk was still barely halfway down the line.

Recognizing he had a chance, Abreu uncorked a bullet to first base and nailed Kirk for the game-ending fo