At the time, it was nothing more than the fourth run for the Rangers, giving the visitors a three-run lead in the eighth inning.

But at the end of the day, the decision by home plate umpire Gary Darling to call Elvis Andrus safe at home when the replay suggested he was out might have changed the complexion of the final few frames. What it definitely did was elicit a spirited round of boos toward the ump for the remainder of the game.

Darling ruled that Andrus had gotten his foot to the plate before catcher Kevin Cash could apply the tag, after receiving a throw from left fielder Darnell McDonald. Cash and — judging by the subsequent argument by both Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester and manager Terry Francona –the Red Sox disagreed.

“I thought he was out,” Cash said after the Red Sox’ 4-2 loss to the Rangers. “It was a close play, I know that. [Darling] was saying he got his foot in, at least that’s what he was telling Tito.”

Asked if he believed the call was a no-brainer at the time of the tag, Cash said, “Yeah, just given where I was. I was probably 12 inches in front of the plate. At least that’s what I thought I was. I think that’s the reaction I showed. It wasn’t like I looked around and waited for a call.”

The Red Sox would eventually bring the tying run to the plate after a Mike Cameron solo home run, and Billy Hall reaching on a fielding error by Texas’ second baseman Ian Kinsler. But J.D. Drew struck out, and Marco Scutaro flew out, ending the Sox’ threat.