NEW YORK (AP) — Two New York Yankees fans who were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series for interfering with Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts have been banned from Game 5 on Wednesday night.
Betts leaped at the retaining wall in foul territory and caught Gleyber Torres’ pop fly in the first inning Tuesday night, but a fan in the first row with a gray Yankees road jersey grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out. Another fan grabbed Betts’ bare hand.
“Not good. There’s no place for that. It’s as simple as that,” New York manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday. “Come here, cheer, root for your team, whatever. No place for that. Should never have hands on anyone.”
The Yankees called the behavior “egregious and unacceptable.” The team said the fans involved are season-ticket holders, and the club gave their Game 5 tickets to an ill child and his family who were unable to attend a kids-only news conference at the ballpark in September to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
“Yankee Stadium is known for its energy and intensity, however the exuberance of supporting one’s team can never cross the line into intentionally putting players at physical risk," the team said Wednesday in a statement. "The Yankees and Major League Baseball maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward the type of behavior displayed last night. These fans will not be permitted to attend tonight’s game in any capacity.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association also expressed concern about player safety and security.
“As with every incident at the ballpark that affects players, we have been in regular contact with league security officials since last night’s incident and will be closely tracking both the response to that incident and the protective measures taken going forward, beginning tonight,” the union said in a statement.
Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández said he didn’t think there was anything to worry about Wednesday night.
“I’ve played here for six years against the Yankees, and I never see anything go wrong with the opposite team," he said.
“Fans know they cannot do that, what that fan did last night," Hernández added. “It happens, but unfortunately for him, he’s going to be thinking about that play last night for a long time. ... I’ve never seen anything like it, but now that I see pictures and videos and all that stuff, it’s a little crazy.”
When the play occurred, the Dodgers had an early two-run lead on Freddie Freeman’s two-run homer.
“I saw it. It was maybe one of the more extreme — kind of trying to rip a ball out. But at the same time, that’s kind of New York. I feel like that’s what you expect out here. You expect some unique things,” Yankees left fielder Alex Verdugo said Wednesday.
“At the end of the day, I didn’t feel it was too serious. I think Mookie kind of shook it off, too. That’s just kind of the passion, I guess, New Yorkers have.”
Betts reacted angrily in the moment, but he quickly calmed down when Torres was immediately called out by umpires on fan interference.
“When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after the Yankees extended the series with an 11-4 victory. “We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine. He’s fine. Everything’s cool. We lost the game and that’s what I’m kind of focused on. We've got to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”
It was the second time Torres had an at-bat impacted by fan interference in this World Series. With two outs in the ninth inning of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium, Torres hit a fly ball to left field, and a fan reached over the top of the fence and caught the ball. Torres was awarded a double.
Torres hit a three-run homer to right field in the eighth inning Tuesday night.
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This story corrects that Torres’ homer did not provide the final runs of the night for the Yankees.
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