It was a bit like an NBA defender who argues he didn't commit a foul even when he actually whacked his opponent in about three different places.
On Thursday at Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela made the case to the home plate umpire that he had fouled a pitch off.
The slider from Chris Sale had popped out of the catcher's glove, and so if you hadn't been paying attention, you could think that maybe Rafaela got a piece of it to prevent a smooth catch.
That would've been the wrong assumption, though.
Rafaela didn't get anywhere near the ball.
Which made it all the more humorous that he was making that case anyway:
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 28, 2026MORE: Bryce Harper confuses everyone with viral teeth brushing video
Rafaela didn't put his at bat at risk in his second plate appearance, turning on the first pitch from Sale, a slider in the strike zone, and ripping it into the left field corner for a double.
But in the above clip, Rafaela didn't have nearly the same success, and his argument was futile, too.
He had missed that by a bit too much for the umpire to be fooled.
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