Tigers surviving wildly bad umpiring in Game 1 vs Mariners eases sting of Game 2 loss

The Detroit Tigers didn't just overcome the Seattle Mariners in Game 1 of the ALDS on Saturday; they also overcame some questionable-at-best officiating from home plate umpire Alex Tosi.

All told, Tosi missed 23 calls in Saturday's game. He had a correct call rate of just 86.1%. Per Umpire Auditor, only 26 of the 2,445 games this season had a lower correct call rate.

According to Umpire Scorecards, Tosi's relative accuracy in Game 1 was 3.2% below expected, and his missed calls actually favored the Mariners by 0.31 runs. However, the Tigers were able to contain the after-effects from Tosi's botched calls – errors, free bases, momentum swings, etc. – and limit the damage to come away with a 3-2 win in 11 innings.

Tigers overcame series of missed calls by home plate umpire in Game 1 vs Mariners

Tosi's questionable calls earned him plenty of criticism both during and after the game. Analysts and fans alike flagged a wide strike zone, especially at the top (i.e. high pitches that looked borderline or out being called strikes).

However, the Tigers avoided disaster when calls went against them. Even with a high rate of missed calls, the Mariners were unable to fully convert all their “gifts" into big damage.

Even though Tosi's missed calls mostly favored the Mariners, the Tigers made their own luck when they got favorable nods in tight spots. For example, Kerry Carpenter's fifth-inning home run came after he saw a pitch that looked like it should have been a strike but was called a ball. That gave him a chance to continue the at-bat and ultimately take advantage.

The Tigers also remained steady under pressure. Their bullpen – namely, Will Vest and Rafael Montero – held strong in the late innings. Even with a weak showing in the top of the 10th inning by the offense, the Tigers held on and kept Seattle from breaking through.

In tighter, low-scoring games, single hits or isolated errors weigh more. Same goes for the umpires' influence. One missed call that replay review can't overturn can change the outcome of a game. An inconsistent strike zone can burn you in the biggest moments. Not to mention, the overall distracting tension that results from a home plate umpire failing to do his job properly.

That's what makes the Tigers' Game 1 win over Seattle all the more impressive. As manager AJ Hinch said after the game, they didn't "steal" a win; they earned it.