Rays' protest denied by MLB

— -- BALTIMORE -- Major League Baseball has denied a protest filed by the Tampa Bay Rays this weekend in Toronto.

Executive vice president for baseball operations Joe Torre made the ruling Tuesday.

Rays manager Joe Maddon disputed a play in Saturday's 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays in 10 innings.

Wil Myers was called safe at first base on a pickoff throw by Toronto pitcher Mark Buehrle. After Buehrle returned to the rubber, Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to challenge the call.

Myers was called out on a replay review, and Maddon told umpire crew chief Bob Davidson that he was playing under protest.

The replay rules say challenges must come before the next play or pitch. The rules say the crew chief decides whether a manager's challenge is timely.

"It was inappropriate for [crew chief and third base umpire] Bob [Davidson] to do what he did and permit that to happen," Maddon said Saturday. "I'm trusting that they're going to interpret the rule properly and get us back to that point in the game."

Last week, San Francisco became the first team since 1986 to win an MLB protest. The Giants contended a rain-shortened loss at Wrigley Field should've instead been a suspended game.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.