BOSTON - A few weeks ago, umpires blew three home run calls, sparking a clamor for the use of replay to make sure such calls were made correctly, a plan commissioner Bud Selig said he would consider.

Last night, Dustin Pedroia threw another log on that fire when his first-inning fly ball down the right-field line seemed to curl inside the Pesky Pole for a homer.

First-base umpire Jeff Kellogg called the ball foul. First-base coach Luis Alicea and later manager Terry Francona debated the call with Kellogg. Third-base coach DeMarlo Hale, meanwhile, got the ear of plate umpire Paul Emmel, pointing to third-base umpire Chad Fairchild, claiming Fairchild had the best look.

All of the umpires huddled. They stuck with Kellogg’s “foul” call. Replays seemed to indicate the ball disappeared from view briefly, meaning it had disappeared past the pole on the “fair” side of it.

skrasner@projo.com