Ruling is upheld on Vladimir Guerrero's foul ball.
ANGELS
Umpires use instant replay on near-homer against Mariners.
SEATTLE -- Wednesday night's Angels-Mariners game featured the Angels' first encounter with instant replay, on a ball that Vladimir Guerrero golfed into the left-field corner in the top of the fifth inning.
Third-base umpire Chuck Meriwether ruled the ball foul, after it appeared to hit the yellow line on top of the padded wall just to the left of the foul pole in Safeco Field.
Angels Manager Mike Scioscia came out to argue, and after about a minute, he headed back to the dugout. With play about to resume, Scioscia again came out to talk to crew chief Tim Welke, who agreed to review the play.
Several minutes later, Welke returned to the field, and the call was upheld. The total delay, from the time Scioscia came out to argue, was about four minutes. It took umpires 2 minutes 28 seconds to actually review the call.
"Chuck thought he got a good look at it, but when I got back to the dugout, I asked the home-plate umpire [Mike Muchlinski] if he had a good look at it," Scioscia said. "I asked Welke to take a look at it, and he agreed. I give them credit for looking."
mike.digiovanna@latimes.com
