Game 1 of the World Series was a tense affair as it headed to the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium. The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees were tied 2-2, with the top of the Yankee lineup batting against hard-throwing reliever Michael Kopech.
One swing of the bat, and one catch at the left-field wall, gave the game an iconic moment.
The twist? The catch was made by a fan.
This is an insane play for two outs in the 9th inning.
Gleyber Torres hit what was very close to a home run. However, due to fan interference, Torres goes to second base.
It’s very hard to tell if that ball was going over the wall or not.pic.twitter.com/epLuFVJoEU
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) October 26, 2024
Torres’ fly ball to left field sailed 383 feet according to Statcast, when it came to rest in a fan’s outstretched glove sitting in the front row of the bleacher seats. Torres surely was a hoping for a home run. The Dodgers’ players insisted it was a double, pointing toward the fence almost in unison.
According to major league rule 6.01, if a fan reaches into the field of play and touches a fly ball that was catchable by a fielder, fan interference is called and the batter is ruled out. A fan touching a fair ground ball results in a ground-rule double being called and two bases being awarded to the batter and any baserunners.
The ball could not have been caught by Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez; that much was clear. Far less clear: would the ball have cleared the fence if the fan had not caught it? After a brief review, the umpires determined that the ball would have stayed in the park, and Torres was placed on second base.
The fan, clad in a Dodgers hat and jersey over a blue hoodie, was removed from his seat by Dodger Stadium security guards.
The Yankees did not score in the inning. After an intentional walk to Juan Soto, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts replaced Kopech with veteran right-hander Blake Treinen.
Treinen got Aaron Judge to fly out to end the inning, and the game went to the bottom of the ninth tied 2-2.
The Dodgers are playing the Yankees in the World Series for the first time since 1981.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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