Manager Pedro Grifol still had strong feelings about the interference call Thursday against first baseman Andrew Vaughn that halted the White Sox’ ninth-inning comeback in their 8-6 loss to the Orioles.
‘‘I don’t like the way the play was called,’’ Grifol said before the Sox’ 6-4 defeat Friday at the hands of the Orioles. ‘‘I think it was called inaccurate. Just my opinion. I don’t think any baseball game should end like that.’’
Vaughn retreated to second base after left fielder Andrew Benintendi popped up a pitch from reliever Craig Kimbrel. Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson had to avoid Vaughn as he caught the pop fly, and the interference call ended the game.
In talking with the major-league office, Sox general manager Chris Getz said he was told that it’s a judgment call and that the umpires can use discretion on such a play.
Getz and Grifol elected to keep the conversations they had with MLB in the aftermath private, but both expressed their disappointment in what ultimately came down to a judgment call by third-base umpire Junior Valentine.
‘‘The uniqueness of how everything unfolded, the umpires were very confident in the calls that they made,’’ Getz said. ‘‘I believe they remain confident and stick behind that.
‘‘Henderson, was he impeded by the play or not? He was able to get camped under there and make that catch, so you’d have to ask him if he was impeded by Vaughn there. But the calls were made, and we’ve got to live with it.’’
Grifol said that there was nothing Vaughn could do and that none of the players involved did anything wrong.
Though the loss remains, Grifol said the fallout from the call still matters.
‘‘I live for this game, and the game is not perfect,’’ Grifol said. ‘‘It’s unfortunate we lost. I’m not going to say we lost the game because of it. There’s a fly ball we could have caught, and there’s a 1-2 slider that was hit in the seats.
‘‘But I would have loved to have another opportunity to see if we could tie this ballgame or even win it.’’
Flexen bemoans ‘another poor job’
The start of the game Friday was delayed 41 minutes by rain. After it began, right-hander Chris Flexen allowed four runs in 4‰ innings but relentlessly attacked the strike zone and kept the Sox in the game against a team that ranks among the top 10 in the majors in runs scored.
‘‘Another poor job,’’ Flexen said. ‘‘Third time in a row not being able to get past the fifth. Continue to put our bullpen in a bad situation, but [I] tip my hat to the guys to not give up.’’
The Sox couldn’t get over the hump after tying the score on a solo home run by Vaughn in the seventh.
‘‘It’s gut-wrenching, but it’s baseball,’’ Vaughn said.
Roster moves
The Sox put reliever Dominic Leone on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to Tuesday, with inflammation in his right elbow and recalled right-hander Justin Anderson from Triple-A Charlotte.
Grifol said Leone’s injury isn’t something the Sox are worried about and that ‘‘he should be ready to go as soon as his IL date comes back.’’
Leone has a 7.04 ERA, allowing 12 earned runs in 15⅓ innings.
