Fan sneaks into Fenway to add new twist to 2020 mayhem

BOSTON — Aside from the fourmonth, coronavirus pandemic-caused baseball shut down, the Yankees have had some strange delays this season. They had two series delayed by COVID-19 outbreaks and an impromptu trip to Baltimore for an unscheduled two-game series. Then their game against the Rays earlier this month was delayed when a drone hovered over the ballpark.

Sunday, there was a fan delay, which in this 2020 coronavirus MLB season seemed impossible because fans are not allowed in the ballpark.

“I don't know exactly what was being said out there,” Aaron Boone said. “Um, I try not to make too much light of it, because it could have been a scary situation. So, hopefully, you know, everything is handled OK.

“It was definitely odd.”

In the top of the eighth inning a man dressed in a Red Sox shirt climbed over the wall behind center field and down onto the platform where the television cameras were perched.

He began yelling and tossed a hat and another unidentified object onto the field as players in both dugouts and on the field stopped to watch. Yelling “Boston love New York. Remember 9/11. Boston Marathon!” among other things, the fan climbed over the safety rail and out to the edge of the perch, where he did pushups and then briefly dangled off the edge as he evaded security.

“That's probably the last thing you expect to happen, a fan delay in this season,” backup catcher Erik Kratz, who pitched the ninth inning of the 10-2 loss, said. “For a little bit, I was concerned for him, it looked like he was gonna try to jump down off the cage.

“It's one of those things that you're aware of, because you never know. The

other night, there was a drone that came over the field and you look at it, you say, ‘Oh, cool, it's a drone,' or you look at it, and you never know what it could be,” Kratz said. “That's all you know, if you're not aware, then something like that could sneak up on you. But when he crawled over the wall there, it was like, man that's just not what you're thinking is gonna happen today.”

Police arrived and they convinced the man to come with them as they escorted him off the platform.

Fans have not been allowed in ballparks this season because of concerns about coronavirus spread.

SANCHEZ SIGH OF RELIEF

Gary Sanchez took a foul ball to the neck and was bleeding, but remained in Sunday's game.

“Everything's fine.” Sanchez said through Yankees translator Marlon Abreu. “Every time you get hit with a fireball like that, you gotta be a little sore, but everything's fine.”