DETROIT – The book on Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game on Wednesday might not be entirely closed yet.
Galarraga lost his bid with two out in the ninth inning, when first-base umpire Jim Joyce ruled that Jason Donald was safe on a ground ball to the right side.
Joyce subsequently admitted that he was wrong. ("I had a great angle on it. I had great positioning on it. I just missed the damn call," a dejected Joyce said afterward. "I thought he beat the play.")
At this point, the only way to change the on-field ruling would be by special action of Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig.
However, it is technically possible that the scoring decision on the play could be changed from a hit to an error – thus preserving a no-hitter. One replay angle showed that Galarraga may have juggled the ball after receiving the throw from first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
"I want to see it before I say anything," official scorer Chuck Klonke said late Wednesday night, when told of the additional replay angle. "I want to look at it myself. I'd have to look at how the whole thing developed."
Klonke has been working as an official scorer at Tigers games since 1982.
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.