CLEVELAND -- Umpires botched another home run call Friday when Damien Beal missed a ball hit by Cleveland's Ben Francisco that cleared the fence in the sixth inning.
Television replays showed that Francisco's ball was clearly a home run. Instead of being a three-run shot that got the Indians within 12-9 to the Texas Rangers, it was ruled an RBI double.
Cleveland manager Eric Wedge came out of the dugout immediately to argue. Beal met with the other three umpires and crew chief Dale Scott did not overturn the call. Wedge then continued the argument and was ejected by Scott.
Replays showed the ball hitting a railing atop the left-field wall. The ball glanced off the railing, a few inches above the yellow home run line atop the wall.
Earlier this week, umpires missed three other home runs.
On Sunday night, umpires at Yankee Stadium reversed a correct call and concluded an apparent home run by the Mets' Carlos Delgado was foul. On Monday night, umps in Houston mistakenly ruled a ball off a center-field wall was in play. And on Wednesday night, the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez lost a home run when umpires decided the ball hit the fence -- replays showed it glanced off a yellow staircase behind the fence.