It didn’t take long for controversy to enter into Game 4 of the ALCS on Wednesday night. In the first inning, with two runners on, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve smacked what appeared to be a surefire home run to right field.
However, things were not as they appeared.
As the ball made it over the wall, a fan interfered with Boston’s Mookie Betts as he attempted to make the catch:
#Postseason craziness in Houston … pic.twitter.com/ldNRUR22XN
— MLB (@MLB) October 18, 2018
Some thought the fan interference rule would not apply since it didn’t look as though the fan reached over the wall:
I'd love to hear the explanation for that. Didn't look like a fan reached over the fence. If he didn't, and the ball was over the fence when it was touched, and the contact was incidental between the fan and Mookie Betts' glove, that has to be a home run, right?
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 18, 2018
Though, while the fan didn’t reach over the fence, Mookie Betts did appear to have a real shot at making the play. However, the fan’s contact caused Betts’ glove caused it to close, preventing him from having a chance to make the play.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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