MLB denies Indians' protest of loss to Orioles

CLEVELAND -- Even though their protest was thrown out, the Cleveland Indians figure it was worth all the effort to complain.

Major League Baseball disagreed with the club's argument that umpires should not have added a run three innings after it was initially waved off in Saturday's 7-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles.

The run, which scored on a sacrifice fly in the third inning before the Indians could turn a double play, was later added in the sixth inning -- a ruling that left players, coaches, managers and everyone at Jacobs Field scratching their heads.

MLB chief operating officer Bob DuPuy decided Wednesday that because the umpires' mistake did not involve a judgment call, and because there is nothing in the Official Baseball Rules to address when umpires can make a correction, the umps can act at their own discretion.

Baseball released a statement saying, "Mindful of their obligation that 'the first requisite is to get decisions correctly,' as the Rules instruct them, this umpire crew was within the authority that Rule 9.01 (c) gave them to correct the game score when they did."

The core of the Indians' dispute was that the run should not have been added retroactively.

"We sympathize with their challenge, however, obviously we're very disappointed with the result," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. "We felt, and still do feel, that we had a very strong, solid, well-presented case. I understand that a ruling in our favor would have opened up quite a bit of opposition and challenges, but we feel ruling the way they did leaves some ambiguity going forward."

The Orioles led 2-1 in the third and had runners on first and third with one out when Ramon Hernandez hit a sinking liner to center field.

Cleveland's Grady Sizemore made a diving catch, popped up and threw to first in time to double up Miguel Tejada for an inning-ending double play. However, Baltimore's Nick Markakis tagged up at third and scored well before Tejada was ruled out.

The run should have counted, but it was waved off by plate umpire Marvin Hudson and the inning ended with the Orioles up 2-1, not 3-1.

None of Baltimore's players or coaches complained immediately. It wasn't until the fourth inning when bench coach Tom Trebelhorn brought it to the umpires' attention that the run came under dispute.

Then, in the sixth, crew chief Ed Montague remarkably added a run for the Orioles, giving them a 3-2 lead. Indians manager Eric Wedge protested the game, arguing the run can't be counted later.

Montague later admitted the crew had made an error in not counting the run.