Toronto Blue Jays Melky Cabrera scores at home plate after a single from Maicer Izturis against Houston Astros during fifth inning AL baseball action in Toronto on Wednesday April 9, 2014.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
For a team that is owned by a huge telecommunications conglomerate, a play in the sixth inning of the Toronto Blue Jays 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday night remains a bit of a head scratcher.
Houston had just scored three times in the top of the sixth to make the score 5-3 when it was Toronto's turn to bat and Ryan Goins earned a walk off Jerome Williams leading off the bottom of the frame.
After a Melky Cabrera strikeout, Maicer Izturis was at the plate when Williams whirled and threw to first and Goins was called out on the pick-off play.
Video replays on the television clearly showed that Goins got a hand on the bag before Marc Krauss got the tag down.
And the home town fans, who also saw the evidence on the giant video screen within Rogers Centre, appeared certain that the play would be overturned under Major League Baseball's new video review system after Toronto manager John Gibbons popped out of the dugout to argue the call.
Trouble was, Gibbons ultimately failed to appeal the play so it was allowed to stand.
After the game, Gibbons said the Blue Jays braintrust did not see the same television feed as everybody else, the reason why he didn't appeal.
"We didn't get that feed that showed him safe," the manager said. "We didn't get that one angle."
Gibbons was then asked what the Blue Jays spotters might have been watching instead.
"Maybe the Yankee game – Yankee-Baltimore," the manager quipped.
On the good news front, Gibbons said that the ball that reliever Steve Delebar took off the left leg in the bottom of the ninth inning on a ground out by lead-off batter by Jose Altuve did not appear to cause any big-time damage.
The ball deflected off Delebar's leg straight over to Edwin Encarnacion at first for the out but left the pitcher in considerable discomfort.
After being checked out at the mound, Delebar was replaced by Esmil Rogers, who got the final two outs.
As far as these things go, Gibbons said the ball struck Delebar on the meaty portion of his of his left leg, one the back side of the shin.
"It will be sore for a couple days, but we don't think it's any big deal," Gibbons said, adding: "Of course, it's not my leg."