Dodger Mookie Betts ejects Yankee fans after extreme fan interference

New York – There are fan meddling and there are misdemeanor assaults, and what happened to Dodgers star Mookie Betts in the right-field corner of Yankee Stadium in the first inning of Tuesday night's 11-4 World Series Game 4 qualifies as New York's next.

“I've never seen anything like this,” Betts said after the game, frustrated by the Dodgers' inability to complete a four-game sweep of the Yankees but happy to avoid a serious injury on the play. “But there's always a first time for a first.”

Gleyber Torres led off the bottom of the first with a fly ball to right that went into foul territory. Betts, a six-time Gold Glove Award-winning outfielder, jumped toward the high padded wall in foul territory and made the catch between two Yankees fans, one wearing a road gray jersey and the other a home white pinstripe jersey.

But as Bates tried to secure the ball, the fan in a street jersey — identified by the Athletics' Brendan Coote as Austin Capobianco, 38, of Connecticut — reached for Bates' glove in an attempt to dislodge the ball.

Another fan then grabbed Bates' throwing wrist and pushed on him to prevent the outfielder from catching the ball, which bounced out of Bates' glove and landed on the dirt warning track. Right-field umpire Mark Carlson immediately called for fan interference and Torres was ejected.

Capobianco and another fan, who has not been identified, were ushered out of their seats by stadium security, exchanging high-fives and at least one hug and applause as they walked up the aisle.

“Yeah, it looked ridiculous from my perspective,” Dodgers shortstop Tommy Edman said. “The man was pulling on his wrist and trying to get his gloves off. … It looks like he got out, and I'm glad he did. I've never seen anything like it. It was unacceptable.”

Bates played the first six years of his big-league career with the Boston Red Sox, against baseball's fiercest rivalry, so he's used to being the object of scorn in the Bronx. But in his 11 big-league seasons, he's never seen fans take such aggressive action toward a player.

Although he was clearly angry with the fans after the game, he bore them no ill will after the game.

“It doesn't matter, we lost, it's irrelevant,” Bates said of the play. “I'm fine. [The fan] Okay everything is cool. We lost the game, and I'm focusing on that. We need to turn the page and get ready for Game 5 on Wednesday.

Dodgers reliever Ben Kasparius, who threw the first two innings of a bullpen game Tuesday night, allowing one run and one hit, walking three and striking out one, grew up as a Red Sox fan in Westport, Conn., and said he was something Part attended 50-60 games at Yankee Stadium as a kid, always sporting his Red Sox gear.

Was the right-hander surprised with Bates?

“No, not at all,” said Casparius. “I think it was an interesting moment, there were a few pitches in the game. And obviously, there's a history with this team and [Mookie] Playing for the Red Sox as long as he did. It was kind of like the 'here we go' moment at the beginning.

The Dodgers had a “here we go again” moment in the top of the first when Bates doubled into the right-field corner with one out and Freddie Freeman lined a two-run homer into the right-field seats for a 2-0 lead. . It was deja vu all over again for Freeman, who hit a two-run homer in the first inning of Monday night's 4-2 Game 3 victory.

But the Yankees scored once in the second, and shortstop Anthony Volpe crushed a poorly placed first-pitch slider from Dodgers reliever Daniel Hudson into the left-field seats for a two-out grand slam and a 5-2 lead.

The Dodgers scored twice in the top of the fifth to cut the deficit to 5-4, but New York catcher Austin Wells blasted a solo homer into the second deck of right field in the sixth for a 6-4 lead.

The Yankees then blew the game away with a five-run eighth off Dodgers right-hander Brent Honeywell, a rally highlighted by Torres' three-run homer to right-center.

Struggling Yankees slugger Aaron Judge capped the rally after he walked to left with an RBI single, was hit by a pitch, reached on an error and flew out to center field in his first four plate appearances.

“They will battle,” Bates said of the Yankees. “If you make it this far, you have a resilience. You will fight all the time. That's what we expected. Obviously, we didn't play well today, and they did. That's why they won.

“We are three games to one at the moment. We feel pretty good about it. But no lead is safe without winning the fourth game.”