BOSTON — Cleveland Indians reliever Oliver Perez got off on the wrong foot on Monday at Fenway Park.
In a bizarre scene, Perez was left standing around in his socks during a delay in the fifth inning, waiting for someone to bring him new shoes before he started his outing against the Boston Red Sox.
Perez was warming up when he noticed that something was off with his left cleat. He called for time, then signaled for a fresh pair of Nikes.
While a trainer fetched them from the clubhouse, the 37-year-old Perez meandered around the mound in his socks. He stepped onto the grass to lace up the replacement footwear, then finally got to work.
Boston socked it to him. Perez gave up an RBI double to Jackie Bradley Jr. and a three-run home run to Sandy Leon during a rocky outing that put the Red Sox ahead 9-3.