BOSTON — Boston Manager John Farrell is certainly on-board with expanding the use of replays in baseball after an admitted blown call cost the Red Sox the potential tying run in a loss a night earlier.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Fenway Park, Farrell said he believes that with better technology, baseball can get more “out or safe” calls correct.

Trailing by a run in the eighth inning of a 2-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night, pinch-runner Daniel Nava was called out by plate umpire Jerry Meals while attempting to score on a fly ball. After watching the replay, Meals admitted he was “wrong on my decision.”

Major League Baseball is looking at a vast expansion of video review by umpires for 2014 and is examining whether all calls other than balls and strikes should be subject to replay.

Currently, baseball uses replay only for home runs, but Farrell thinks the game would be better served by expanding its use.

“In plays like (Monday) night, I think it furthers the debate,” he said. “I’ve always felt that the advances in technology, how it’s come into the game, there’s no reason to think that it can’t be used to a greater extent without prolonging the time of the game.”

The use of replay has been in place for home run calls since August 2008. Commissioner Bud Selig initially wanted to add trap plays and fair/foul calls down the lines for 2013, but change was put off while more radical options were examined.

 


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