"B.J. Upton has been sending a message this spring that he's taking every extra base he can get this season. And he doesn't care which base it is.

In Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Blue Jays, the fleet center fielder turned what would have been a single for many players into a double and stole home with a heads-up play.

Upton had reached third in the fourth inning when C J.P. Arencibia dropped a third-strike pitch to Sean Rodriguez. When Rodriguez started for first, Upton broke for home. He beat the throw from 1B David Cooper.

"You're always (trying to be) aggressive on the base paths, and there was a left-hander for them at first base, and it would be a tough play for him to turn his shoulders and get the ball in," Upton said. "So I got a pretty good jump, and that's why I went."

Manager Joe Maddon said he checked with third-base coach Tom Foley afterward and got word that Upton went on his own.

"It was a great play," Maddon said. "That's what we're looking for. I want us to be heads-up, pay attention, make things happen and never worry about making a mistake.""