21 years post-Maier, this time it’s Bombers robbed by a kid

HOUSTON — Carson Riley caught four balls at Minute Maid Park Saturday. The fifth, he missed, but it’s the most special to the 12-year-old Astros fan. In a seemingly ironic twist, the freckle-faced boy’s glove hanging over the right field fence deflected a Carlos Correa ball over and into the stands, resulting in a home run.

Riley reached over the fence for the ball out of instinct, but a one-minute video review by the replay crew in New York ruled that it was not fan interference. From the replay, it did not look like Judge would have a chance to catch the line drive.

“Well, we saw the hands there, I wish sometimes they had a camera that went straight along the fence,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I think it’s really close, I can see why they didn’t overturn it, but with the angles that they have…..” It turned out to be a big run. The Astros took a 1-0 lead on that play and went on to win 2-1 on a walk off double by Carlos Correa. The Astros took a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship.

“I love that kid,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “I want to leave that kid tickets.”

It was like a bad karmic flashback for Yankees fans to the 1996 ALCS.

During that Game 1 of the series, 12-year-old Yankee fan Jeffrey Maier deflected a batted ball, hit by Derek Jeter, into the Yankee Stadium stands for what umpires ruled to be a home run, rather than fan interference.

That play changed the course of the series, with the Yankees tying the game on that “homer,” and they went on to win the series in four games and then on to win the World Series.

At that time, baseball did not have video replays and challenges.

Saturday, Girardi didn’t even have to challenge the play; crew chief Gary Cederstrom signaled to have the play looked at by the umpires in New York.

Riley, sitting in the front row in right field with his parents Amanda and Mike, said he was nervous as the play was reviewed.

“Yes, that I reached over and they were going to overturn it,” the young fan said was his worry during the challenge. When his team was awarded the home run, however “I was excited.”

Riley said that he just reacted to the play without thinking.

“I just saw the ball go up and I reached out to catch it,” he said. Riley said he saw Judge running over in the corner of his eye. He reached out and the ball bounced off his glove and into his father’s hands.

Riley wasn’t around for the now famous Maier play, but his father Mike does remember it.

He wasn’t concerned about his son being the center of an interference controversy, just happy his boy was having a good game.

“I am just excited for him. I thought it was cool,” Mike Riley said. “All’s he wanted is a ball and he’s got a whole collection today. Judge threw him a ball right before (that play) after the warm ups.”

Riley actually was walking out of Minute Maid Park with five balls Saturday: three from batting practice, a warm up ball that Judge had tossed to him right before the bottom of the inning started and the Correa home run ball.

The 12-year-old, who lives north of San Antonio, gave his mom four of the balls to hold in her bag. The home run ball he held in his glove long after the play, not sure exactly what he would do with it.

“Just keep it, I think,” Riley said.