April 18--DETROIT -- There was no hypothetical man in the bleachers with binoculars causing controversy in the White Sox game against the Tigers on Friday at Comerica Park.
It was a hypothetical challenge that had everyone in a tizzy after a 2-1 Sox loss to the Tigers.
In the Sox's first game against the Tigers since last September's Chris Sale-Victor Martinez sign-stealing spat, Sox manager Robin Ventura was the one taking on heat after deciding not to challenge a ruling that eventually resulted in the Tigers scoring the winning run in the ninth inning.
The Sox and Tigers went into the bottom of the ninth tied at 1-1 when Nick Castellanos hit a low ball to right field that Avisail Garcia couldn't grasp. As Castellanos headed toward second base, Garcia's throw reached Alexei Ramirez at second in plenty of time, but the umpire ruled Ramirez did not make the tag and Castellanos was safe.
Ventura did not call for a review, even though some replays in Detroit appeared to show Ramirez hitting Castellanos' foot with his glove, and Tigers pinch runner Andrew Romine scored the winning run on Jose Iglesias' RBI single.
Ventura said he was told by the Sox video crew that Ramirez missed the tag and decided not to challenge. He returned to the field a second time, but at that point, the umpire ruled that it was too late because the Tigers had already inserted their pinch runner.
"You have to go with what your guys are going with," Ventura said. "You could just go out and challenge it anyway, but when you get a -- 'He missed him' -- you don't challenge it. ... You think about doing it anyway if you get a maybe. I didn't even get a maybe."
Ramirez said he thought second-base umpire Brian O'Nora was in the wrong spot to see the play and was surprised there was no review.
"I think that we were in the ninth inning -- you have to review the play," Ramirez said through a team interpreter. "I think that maybe they missed the play the first time on the video, but I am 100 percent I tagged him. If you are going to lose, you don't want to lose in this way."
Lost in the strange ending were the impressive outings from Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija and Tigers left-hander David Price, who each pitched eight innings, allowing just one solo home run apiece. Samardzija walked none, struck out seven and afterward said he also thought Ramirez made the play.
"Not my call," Samardzija responded when asked if there should have been a review.
The game was otherwise rather well-played -- and calm compared with the Sale outing on Sept. 24, 2014, when he hit Martinez with a pitch after seemingly indicating that Martinez had someone stealing signs in the outfield by making a binoculars sign with his hands in the dugout. Martinez, who is 15-for-29 with three home runs and six RBIs all-time against Sale, stared Sale down, and the teams cleared into the infield before retiring to the dugout without a fight.
Afterward, Martinez said Garcia had told him about the sign-stealing suspicions, though Sale denied it.
Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said it was "weak on Sale's part" to hit Martinez. Ventura responded the next day, saying Ausmus should worry about his own team. Ventura and Sale also got into a shouting match following the incident.
Sale, who will pitch Saturday, declined comment Friday, but Ventura said before the game the Sox had moved on.
"We're here to play baseball," he said. "Everybody else can scare up whatever they want."
They have a new controversy to play up now.
