A few New York Yankees fans did their best to stop Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts on Tuesday.
Two Yankees fans sitting in the front row near the foul pole in right field were called for fan interference after they tried to pull Betts’ glove off his hand as he fouled a ball in Game 4 of the World Series.
Their attempt, which came when Betts tracked down a Gleyber Torres fly ball in the bottom of the first inning, was unsuccessful. Betts appeared to have made the right play when the ball reached the front row of seats at Yankee Stadium, and the two fans immediately tried to jump in and steal the ball. One fan even ripped the ball out of Betts’ glove while apparently trying to pull the glove completely out of Betts’ hand.
Officials quickly cited fan interference and gave Betts the no. Security almost immediately ran to the fans and the two were seen leaving the stands.
According to The Athletic, the fans were turned away. The fan who tried to pull Betts’ glove off was identified as Austin Capobianco, 38. Austin’s younger brother, Darren, told The Athletic that Betts swore at them.
‘I just see the ball, I don’t want to say that [go] up for grabs, if that makes sense,” Darren Capobianco said, via The Athletic. “And then Mookie cursed at us. Not good.”
A Yankees fan, Ana from Connecticut, standing nearby told me she told the man he was a “hero” for trying to break up the play.
“It’s a championship game,” she said. pic.twitter.com/l5bKHAsRlk
— Rustin Dodd (@rustindodd) October 30, 2024
Austin, a Yankees season ticket holder, declined to comment on the incident to The Athletic via text message. He said he just wanted to “watch the game.”
Betts downplayed the incident after the game, telling reporters outside his locker: “It doesn’t matter. We lost. It’s not relevant. I’m fine, he’s fine. Everything’s cool. We got the game lost, that’s what I am.” focused on. We have to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”
Mookie Betts was not interested in talking to the two fans in the first inning about the incident, calling it “irrelevant” to the end result of the game. pic.twitter.com/t1TJKdvG25
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) October 30, 2024
Betts was involved in a similar incident with fans during the 2018 ALCS while with the Boston Red Sox. There have also been several incidents of fan interference throughout the postseason, including in Game 1 of the World Series, when a fan reached over the outfield wall and caught a Torres fly ball. That game was labeled as a double.
The Dodgers entered Tuesday’s game with a 3-0 series lead, and immediately took a 2-0 lead when Freddie Freeman hit a two-run homer in the top of the first inning. Freeman has hit a home run in all four World Series games and in six consecutive World Series games since his last appearance in 2021, both of which are records.
Despite falling in the early hole, the Yankees flew ahead to an 11-4 victory, thanks in large part to a grand slam by Anthony Volpe in the third inning and a three-run homer by Torres in the eighth. The Dodgers are looking for their first World Series title since 2020. The Yankees haven’t won since 2009.
No team has successfully rallied from 0-3 in World Series history. Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday night in New York.
