Fan interference overturns Anthony Volpe home run in ALDS Game 3
A fan's actions in the left field seats at Yankee Stadium led to a crucial call being changed, reminiscent of past controversial plays.
Anthony Volpe's potential game-tying, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning of ALDS Game 3 was overturned to an RBI double following a fan interference call at Yankee Stadium. The play occurred when a fan in the left field seats reached over the wall and interfered with the ball as Rays outfielder Victor Mesa Jr. attempted to make a catch.
After a review, umpires determined that fan interference had occurred. Volpe was then awarded an RBI double, leaving the Yankees trailing the Rays 4-3 at the end of the inning. The decision echoed the infamous Jeffrey Maier incident from the 1996 ALCS, where a young fan's reach aided a Derek Jeter home run.
This is not the first time fan interference has played a role in recent postseason play. In Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, a fan at Dodger Stadium interfered with a fly ball hit by Gleyber Torres, which was also ruled a double. Later in that series, two fans were removed from a stadium and banned from all MLB ballparks for grabbing a foul ball from the glove of Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts.