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Red Sox not pursuing protest against Rays

Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora yells as he talks to the umpiring crew during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, July 24, 2019, in St. Petersburg, Fla. Cora was upset about the Rays moving pitcher Adam Kolarek from pitcher to first base and then back to pitcher during the inning. (Chris O’Meara / Associated Press)
Associated Press

BOSTON – The Red Sox are not pursuing a protest of a game at Tampa Bay this week, when conflict developed after the Rays designated hitter was removed.

Boston declined to file the required written protest after being advised by Major League Baseball that they would not win, general manager Dave Dombrowski said, according to team spokesman Kevin Gregg.

Manager Alex Cora protested the game Wednesday after Tampa Bay reliever Adam Kolarek retired a batter, then shifted to first base as Rays manager Kevin Cash called in Chaz Roe from the bullpen. After Roe got Mookie Betts to fly out, Cash shifted Kolarek back to the mound and Nate Lowe came off the bench to play first.

Cora called for a meeting with the umpires, which led to a 15-minute stoppage. The game resumed with Kolarek still on the mound.

Umpire crew chief Angel Hernandez allowed the change, saying that because Cash did not specify where Kolarek and the others would be placed in the lineup, by rule it became an umpire decision.

“In case the manager fails or refuses to make the decision, the plate umpire is authorized to decide the necessary batting order,” Hernandez said. “The umpire’s decision is final.”

Boston played the rest of the game under protest and lost 3-2.

“We were confident in the messages that were relayed,” Cash said Friday in Toronto. “I’m not privy to everything that was said between the umpiring crew and the Boston staff. I’m just happy that our pitchers executed pitches. Ultimately we got it right, and it was really no impact on the game.”