Ausmus loses first challenge on play at second

DETROIT -- Tigers manager Brad Ausmus lost his streak of perfect challenges in the fifth inning of Friday's 10-4 victory over Baltimore.

Shortstop Andrew Romine fumbled a possible double-play toss from second baseman Ian Kinsler off a ground ball hit by Nick Markakis. Baltimore's Steve Lombardozzi was called safe at second on the play.

Ausmus challenged the ruling that Romine had lost the ball on the exchange from his glove to his hand after tagging the base. After consulting with an official at Major League Baseball's Replay Operations center, the umpires confirmed the ruling on the field.

"My understanding of that play is if the ball drops straight down, as a general rule, they assume the player never got the ball to his throwing hand, and that would mean he never had control of it," Ausmus said after the game. "I don't think that was the case here. I think the ball popped up first, which means it had to have been in his hand to pop up."

Both runners were safe, and Romine was charged with an error. Ausmus, who said he did not ask for or receive an explanation, is now 2-for-3 on challenges this season.

"If it's not a force play, if he's not trying to turn a double play there, and he catches the ball there, he's clearly out," Ausmus said. "I don't know what the actual rule is. My understanding doesn't fit with what happened on the field."