Payton Tolle spent Monday night doing more than just handling business for the Red Sox. He also delivered one of the oddest and funniest outs you’ll see all season.
Boston beat the Mariners 9-8 in extra innings, and Tolle did his part on the mound by working 5.2 innings and striking out six. But the moment everyone kept circling came in the third inning, when Dominic Canzone chopped a ball back toward the left-hander and Tolle turned the play into something closer to a full-body embrace than a routine tag.
At 6′6″ and 250 pounds, Tolle made sure Canzone wasn’t getting to first. Instead of reaching out with just the glove, he wrapped him up with a light bear hug to finish the out.
"It just kind of happened," Tolle said. "I was right there in front of him and was like, just bring it in for the big one."
Tolle said he didn’t know Canzone, and he admitted the whole thing felt awkward in the moment. Still, he rolled with it. The play came right after Randy Arozarena homered to trim Boston’s lead to 3-2.
That kind of goofy, loose energy apparently isn’t new for Tolle. He’s known around the clubhouse for handing out hugs to teammates, including Roman Anthony, and Trevor Story said the same easygoing personality is part of what makes him stand out.
"The guy gives hugs all the time, so I'm not sure which one you're talking about," Trevor Story said via MLB.com. "But yeah, that was funny, man.
Payton's just a special person. He plays the game like a little kid, which I feel like we all should."
The Red Sox needed the win after dropping two straight and losing three to the Yankees over the weekend. With about a month left in the regular season, Boston entered Monday looking to steady itself, while Seattle had also dropped four in a row before the game. Cal Raleigh’s recent surge after a disappointing season meant the Mariners still had enough punch to keep things uncomfortable.
Tolle’s 2026 numbers show why Boston trusts him in spots like this. Through 23 starts, he is 8-6 with a 3.23 ERA, 131.0 innings pitched, 147 strikeouts, 37 walks and a 1.10 WHIP.
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