Major League Baseball said Wednesday that the fan removed from Yankee Stadium after Anthony Volpe’s sixth-inning drive was ruled a case of spectator interference, and the league made clear the play never should have counted as a home run.
The key moment came with the Rays ahead 4-2 in the sixth, when Volpe sent a fly ball deep to left field that appeared to be headed toward the fence. A fan in the front row reached over and pulled the ball into the stands, turning what looked like a potential big swing into a review-heavy mess.
Volpe initially circled the bases as if he had just delivered a two-run homer. Instead, after umpires reviewed the play, he was placed at second base with a double, and George Lombard Jr. was credited with a run scored.
MLB said it had “definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play” after reviewing “all relevant angles.”
“The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run,” the league said in a statement. “Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at second.”
Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. said he felt the ball was playable and believed he had a shot at it from the start of the play.
"On that play, I feel that the ball carried a little bit more than it should," Mesa told TBS. "In my opinion, I feel that I could catch the ball or at least could have touched my glove. But it is what it is."
Video later spread on social media showing the fan, wearing a Yankees windbreaker, being escorted out of Yankee Stadium by security after the ruling.
The Rays finished the sixth without giving up another run, and the win completed a 3-0 sweep of the best-of-five series.
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