Judge denied homer by fan
Ball don’t lie. After Aaron Judge appeared to be robbed of a home run, Greg Bird took matters into his own hands and settled the score. Maybe it was karma, maybe it was the baseball gods fixing a possible error by the umpires — even after replay — but either way the Yankees got their runs.
In the second inning Judge hit a ball right to the wall in right-center that a front-row fan tried (and failed) to make a play on. The umpires ruled fan interference and awarded Judge an RBI triple, pending replay review. However, replays made it look like it ought to have been a home run.
But after a two minute and 56 second-review, the call stood.
“Well the Judge ball I didn’t get an explanation,” manager Joe Girardi said. “I still think it’s a home run.”
Regardless, on the very next pitch, Greg Bird launched a ball deep into the right field seats for a two-run shot. Error erased.
“I kind of laughed, because right when Bird hit it I knew it was 40 rows deep,” Judge recalled. “And Joe Espada, our third base coach, was like ‘tag up! tag up!’ and I was like, that’s 30 rows deep, I don’t think I need to tag up.”
Judge, for his part, said he didn’t get a good look at the ball and didn’t know if it was a goner.
There was actually another fan interference call later on a Starlin Castro flyout in the eighth inning. That was another controversial call, as the fan likely interfered with the ball but it was unclear if the right fielder would have caught it. Girardi did not think the play would have been made, and could not request a review of
the play.
HEALTHY HoLLiDAY
Joe Girardi played it it safe with Matt Holliday.
After scratching the veteran hitter on Saturday with back tightness, the manager elected to keep the former Cardinal out of the lineup again on Sunday.
“(He’s) much better today. I thought I’d give him one more day,” Girardi said. “He’s still feels it a little bit. I’d be surprised if he’s not a player for me tomorrow. I will see where he is as we go through the day, see if he’s available to me.”
DiDi on WAY BAck
Girardi said injured SS Didi Gregorius will begin playing rehab games “soon.” Gregorius hurt his shoulder playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic. Ronald Torreyes has been filling in at shortstop in Gregorius’ absence.