Ump costs Tigers' Galarraga perfect game

Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game last night with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald's grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, and all of Comerica Park was ready to celebrate the 3-0 win over Cleveland, until Joyce emphatically signaled safe.

The veteran ump regretted it.

"I just cost that kid a perfect game," Joyce said. "I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.

"It was the biggest call of my career," said Joyce, who became a full-time major league umpire in 1989.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland immediately argued the call and was joined by several of his players after the final out. Galarraga was trying to pitch the third perfect game in the majors this season.

Galarraga (2-1) was in complete control throughout the night. Then Donald's groundball became the flash point of the night, and perhaps the season.

After centerfielder Austin Jackson made a spectacular catch on Mark Grudzielanek's leadoff fly in the ninth and Mike Redmond grounded out, Donald came up with two outs.

Galarraga caught Cabrera's toss and smiled, knowing what he'd just done. He held up his glove hand and started to make an out call with his right hand.

And then Joyce made his call. Galarraga looked stunned and Comerica Park went silent in disbelief. A couple of Tigers put their hands to their heads.

Galarraga quietly went back to work as the crowd started to boo. Cabrera continued to argue the call as Galarraga quickly retired Trevor Crowe for the one-hit shutout.

Joyce faced a group of hostile Tigers - led by Leyland - between the pitching mound and home plate after the final out and was booed lustily by the crowd of 17,738 as he walked off the field.

"I don't blame them a bit or anything that was said," Joyce said. "I would've said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would've been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me."

Apparently, fans attacked Joyce's Wikipedia page as well. Those trying to access the page were greeted with the posting, "This page is currently protected from editing due to vandalism."

The Phillies' Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game Saturday night at Florida, and Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics did it against Tampa Bay on May 9. Until then, there had never been two perfect games in the same season in the modern era.

In other games:

* At New York, Nick Swisher and Curtis Granderson hit two-run doubles in the second inning to back another stingy start by Phil Hughes, and the Yankees handed the Baltimore Orioles their seventh straight loss, 9-1.

* At Boston, David Ortiz hit a two-run homer to help the Red Sox rally for the second straight game, and Daisuke Matsuzaka (4-2) settled down to beat the Oakland Athletics, 6-4.

* At Toronto, David Price became the AL's first eight-game winner, Carl Crawford hit a grand slam and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied in the ninth inning again, beating the Blue Jays, 7-3.

* Jorge Posada was activated from the 15-day disabled list and inserted into the New York Yankees lineup as the designated hitter. The 38-year-old catcher has not played since May 16 because of a broken bone in his right foot.

* Texas Rangers' designated hitter 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 was getting X-rays last night.