Tigers’ Gardenhire says MLB admits mistakes in replay reversal

Detroit Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire says MLB officials told the team that mistakes were made in the replay process that cost the Tigers the would-be winning run in their season opener on Friday.

MLB, however, says it stands by the review decision.

The Tigers thought they had beaten the Pirates in the 10th inning when JaCoby Jones lined a two-out single to left. Nicholas Castellanos was called safe at the plate, but umpires in New York City tasked with replay reviews reversed the call after a four-minute review.

Replay reviews are supposed to be finished within a two-minute window, though officials can extend that time at their discretion.

Gardenhire was ejected by first base umpire Bill Welke for arguing the call in his debut with the team. The Pirates went on to win the game in the 13th inning and subsequently sweep the series.

“The explanation was they didn’t really have conclusive evidence that somebody tagged him,” Gardenhire told reporters, via mlive.com.

“Yes, he might have got him. ‘We think he got him’ is not good enough. In this situation, it has to be definitive. It has to be, “Yeah, I see him (tag) him.’ It’s not, ‘Well, he looked like he touched his sleeve.’ That can’t happen. It’s got to be conclusive. Obviously it didn’t happen. There were mistakes made. That’s fine. It won’t bring anything back.”

MLB responded: “The nature of the exchange with the Tigers was that the replay officials made the correct call based on conclusive evidence. The video clearly shows the catcher applying the tag on the upper right arm of the runner.”

Gardenhire says Tigers general manager Al Avila received MLB’s mea culpa in a conversation with league officials.

“We heard what we wanted to hear,” Gardenhire said. “I will tell you that. They told us what we knew was right. There you have it.”

–Field Level Media