Armando Galarraga squeezed the ball in his mitt, stepped on first base with his right foot and was ready to celebrate the first perfect game in Detroit Tigers’ history.
What happened next will be the talk of baseball for the rest of this season and likely a lot longer. Umpire Jim Joyce emphatically called Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe and a chorus of groans and boos echoed in Comerica Park.
Then Joyce emphatically said he was wrong.
“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the (stuff) out of it,” Joyce said, looking and sounding distraught in the umpires’ locker room. “I just cost that kid a perfect game.”
It’s rare for an umpire to acknowledge a mistake and it’s certain to prompt a push for Major League Baseball to use increased replays. Galarraga was trying for the third perfect game in the majors this year, including Roy Halladay’s gem last Saturday night.
MLB declined comment on Joyce’s call.
“I feel sad,” Galarraga said. “I just watched the replay 20 times and there’s no way you can call him safe. I wish I could talk to the guy that took a perfect game away from me.
“He needs to do a better job in that situation. It wasn’t even close.”
Galarraga (2-1) was in complete control throughout the night. Then Donald’s grounder became the flash point of the night, and perhaps the season.
After Joyce’s call, Galarraga quietly went back to work as the crowd started to boo. First baseman Miguel Cabrera continued to argue as Galarraga quickly retired Trevor Crowe for the one-hit shutout.
Guerrero hospitalized
Texas Rangers DH Vladimir Guerrero was taken to the hospital after a ball he hit in batting practice ricocheted off the cage and struck him above the left eye.
The Rangers say he had “significant swelling” and underwent X-Rays that showed no structural damage.
He’s batting .335 with 12 homers and is second in the majors with 44 RBIs.
Clearing the bases
Jorge Posada was activated from the 15-day disabled list and inserted into the New York Yankees lineup as the designated hitter against Baltimore. The 38-year-old catcher had not played since May 16 because of a broken bone in his right foot. He has yet to practice behind the plate and will serve at the team’s DH. … Bobby Jenks is available to pitch for the Chicago White Sox after a recent calf injury left him unavailable last weekend. … Texas Rangers right-hander Tommy Hunter is scheduled to make his first start of the season against Tampa Bay on Saturday. Manager Ron Washington says Hunter is ready to rejoin the club after being slowed in spring training with a left oblique strain. … The San Diego Padres activated outfielder Scott Hairston from the 15-day disabled list. Hairston was placed on the DL with a strained left hamstring. … Cubs announcer Ron Santo returned to Chicago after being released from a Pittsburgh hospital, where he stayed overnight following the Cubs-Pirates game on Monday. Santo sought treatment after apparently being affected by the heat and humidity during the day game.
