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 the outstretched glove of a fan 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.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
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 Yankees scored a run against Treinen in the 10th inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, stole second base, stole third base, and scored on a sharply hit ground ball to Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman, who could not get the ball out of his glove in time to turn an inning-ending double play.
This is the fourth World Series appearance for the Dodgers in the last eight seasons, but Friday marked their first home game in the Fall Classic since 2019.
Their last World Series appearance — and championship — came in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, when the Dodgers played all six games against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
