Fan Interference Costs Dodgers in World Series Game 4: Betts’ Catch Stolen, Yankees Take Game
A controversial fan interference incident in the first inning of Game 4 of the World Series on Tuesday night proved costly for the Los Angeles Dodgers, as the Yankees capitalized on the chaos to take an 11-4 victory, The Associated Press reports.
The incident occurred when Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts made a spectacular catch of Gleyber Torres’ pop-up in foul territory. However, a fan in the front row, wearing a gray Yankees road jersey, reached out and grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands, yanking the ball free. Another fan also reached out to grab Betts’ hand, further compounding the situation.
Betts, visibly upset, reacted angrily, while Torres was immediately called out on fan interference. “When it comes to the person in play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said after the game, trying to downplay the incident.
“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 got to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”
The Dodgers, who had held a two-run lead thanks to Freddie Freeman’s two-run home run, were unable to recover from the disruption and fell to a 3-1 deficit in the series.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Dodgers rookie pitcher Ben Casparius. “It’s pretty interesting. It was obviously very early in the game, so I think it kind of set the tone.”
The incident was the second time this World Series that Torres’ at-bat was affected by fan interference. In Game 1, a fan in the left-field bleachers reached over and caught a fly ball hit by Torres in the ninth inning, leading to the umpire awarding Torres a double. Torres would later go on to hit a three-run homer in the same game to secure the Yankees’ victory.
