Transfer call upheld after Tigers challenge in eighth

CLEVELAND -- For the second time in as many months, the Tigers lost an instant replay challenge to the transfer rule. This time, they lost it to the re-interpretation.

Had Miguel Cabrera's forceout at second base in the eighth inning Monday night happened in April, manager Brad Ausmus might have gotten umpire Tim Timmons' out call reversed, giving the Tigers two men on with nobody out in a 3-2 game. Once Major League Baseball agreed to go back to the previous interpretation for a forceout, Carlos Santana's catch and bobble still counted as a catch.

"I haven't looked at the replay," Ausmus said. "We knew [it was iffy] going in. Remember, we're past the sixth inning, and it could potentially be a huge play if he's called safe. I wouldn't call it a Hail Mary, but we knew there was some risk involved and the impact that a possible overturn could have."

The review took just 44 seconds. Ausmus said he was talking over the play with bench coach Gene Lamont when he realized the out call had been confirmed.