SEATTLE -- The Red Sox had seen this all before: the potential winning run in scoring position, a ball hit to right fielder Cody Ross and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia waiting to simultaneously block the plate and handle the throw.
This one didn't turn out any better than it did Thursday night.
Two nights after suffering a walkoff loss in the bottom of the ninth, the Red Sox experienced much the same situation in the bottom of the 11th inning Saturday night, and suffered the same result: a loss.
With Dustin Ackley on third, Chone Figgins drove a line drive to right field. Ross caught the ball and, with some momentum from charging the ball, uncorked an on-target throw to the plate.
But the ball short-hopped Saltalamacchia, skipping away as Ackley slid in with the winning run.
"It was a little tougher, I think,'' said Saltalamacchia in comparing the two plays, "just because the ball had a little top-spin, so Cody had to run in on it and catch it a little lower than usual. It short-hopped me a little bit. It was one of those plays where it was do-or-die on both sides of it. But it was a lot different than the night before (when John Jaso singled home Casper Wells from second).''
"It's a do-or-die,'' said Ross of the play. "Chone made a good job making some good contact. It's a tough play. There was some topspin on it and you have to worry about catching it first, and then make an accurate throw.
Boston Red Sox
"I thought it was going to get there the whole way (on the fly) and it ended up short-hopping Salty. That's a tough play for him to make. That's two tough ones in the last few days. That's baseball.''
The Sox had brought the infield in with one out, and were hopeful that they could get Figgins to hit a ground ball.
"You want him to roll over and get a double play so we can get out of the inning,'' said Saltalamacchia. "We tried a pitch-out first, maybe thinking they were trying to squeeze. Then we tried to go hard in, maybe trying to get him jammed up and roll him over.''