Third-base coach Carlos Febles held both arms in the air, overtly signaling for his runner to stop, but shortstop Xander Bogaerts blazed past the prudent instruction with hopes of reaching home.
Soon it became clear Bogaerts himself wasn’t too confident in his choice, as he craned his head to check on the status of the ball. Sure enough, it was on its way to catcher Meibrys Viloria, who would tag Bogaerts out at home and end the bottom of the first inning.
With the Red Sox riding an eight-game losing streak into Monday night’s game against the bottom-dwelling Kansas City Royals, the sense of urgency was high.