NEW YORK -- Fan interference was called in the sixth inning of Wednesday night's American League Division Series Game 3 at Yankee Stadium, altering a would-be, game-tying two-run homer by second baseman Anthony Volpe into a run-scoring double.
With the Yankees' George Lombard Jr. at first base, Volpe lifted a long fly ball to left field and Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. drifted backward to the fence, with the ball seemingly being pushed by a wind blowing from right field to left. Mesa jumped near the fence, and when the ball disappeared into the stands, Yankee Stadium erupted with cheers for what was initially ruled a game-tying home run.
But with Mesa pleading for fan interference, the umpires gathered on the infield to discuss the play and determined that a crew review was needed. Replay showed that a fan in a navy blue Yankees jacket reached beyond the fence for the ball, seemingly into the field of play, with the ball ricocheting off the fan's hands and into the stands.
As the video of the play was shown at Yankee Stadium, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero waved his arms, as if to wave off Volpe's home run.
Crew chief Dan Bellino informed the fans that interference was called -- an announcement greeted with a wave of boos. But Bellino then continued by saying that Mesa would not have made the catch, and the replay center determined that Lombard would have scored, with Volpe getting credit for a double.
Major League Baseball's interference rule specifically gives the umpires discretion to make that kind of ruling. Rather than a tie score, the Rays still held the lead 4-3 -- which is how the game ended, as Tampa Bay swept the best-of-five series to move into the AL Championship Series.
MLB issued this statement soon thereafter:
"After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play. The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call was overturned, there was spectator interference and no home run. Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at 2B."
Mesa was asked about what happened after the Rays' win.
"On that play, I feel that the ball carried a little bit more than it should," he 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."
The play added to the history of fan interference in Yankees playoff games.
During the 1996 playoffs, young Yankees fan Jeffrey Maier carved a place in Yankees history by reaching over Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco for a long fly hit by Derek Jeter. Rich Garcia, the right field umpire in that game, ruled no interference, and the Orioles erupted angrily, with manager Davey Johnson and Tarasco arguing furiously that Tarasco would have caught the ball. There was no replay review in MLB at that time, and Jeter's home run stood.