Rays beat Yankees 4-3 for 3-game Division Series sweep behind Mesa homer, fan interference call

NEW YORK — Victor Mesa Jr. hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Max Fried in the sixth inning, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Wednesday night with the help of a fan interference call for a three-game sweep of their AL Division Series.

Ryan Vilade also homered for the Rays, who reached the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2020 and host the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians in the opener on Monday.

After Mesa’s homer gave the Rays a 4-2 lead, Anthony Volpe appeared to hit a two-run shot against Griffin Jax with two outs in the bottom half as a fan reached over the left-field wall and caught the ball over the glove of a leaping Mesa.

A video review determined the ball would not have been over the wall and would not have been caught by Mesa. Volpe was awarded an RBI double and George Lombard Jr. was allowed to score from first. Jax recovered to strike out Spencer Jones.

Baseball’s adaptation of video technology was key to the inning.

Lombard reached with a one-out walk when a 3-1 pitch called a strike by plate umpire Dan Bellino was ruled inside on an ABS challenge. Austin Wells then walked on full-count changeup but an ABS challenge by Rays catcher Liam Hicks ruled the pitch caught the inside corner for a strikeout, bringing up Volpe.

Quite a change from 1996, when umpires did not have technology to assist and Derek Jeter’s homer for the Yankees helped turn around the ALCS opener despite Jeffrey Meier reaching over the right-field wall where Baltimore’s Tony Tarasco was set to catch the ball. MLB began using video for home run calls in 2008 and allowed challenges to ball/strike decisions starting this year.

Ian Seymour pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Kevin Kelly struck out pinch-hitter Giancarlo Stanton to strand a runner in the eighth and Bryan Baker pitched the ninth for his third save of the series.

Seeking its first World Series title, Tampa Bay celebrated on the field of the big-spending Yankees for the second time in two weeks after clinching the AL East on Sept. 22. New York opened the season with MLB’s third-highest payroll at $303 million while the Rays were 26th at $91 million.

Swept in a best-of-five postseason matchup for the first time since the 1980 ALCS against Kansas City, the Yankees ended their 17th straight season without a World Series crown. That equaled their longest drought since winning their first championship in 1923, a gap between titles in 1978 and ’96.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge missed the postseason after straining a calf on Sept. 16. The three-time AL MVP played just seven games after May 31 because of a fractured rib and the leg injury, an absence the team couldn’t overcome.

After sweeping Boston in the Wild Card Series, New York never led against the Rays and has not advanced past a higher-seeded team in the postseason since 2020.

Jonathan Aranda put the Rays ahead with an RBI single in the third and Ben Rice tied the score against Nick Martinez with a single in the bottom half, his eighth RBI of the postseason.

Vilade, a 27-year-old getting extensive big league playing time this year with his sixth major league organization, hit an opposite-field, 340-foot drive into the right-field short porch in the fourth. The ball, just over the glove of a jumping Jones, would not have been out of any other big league ballpark.

Volpe, starting at second base in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr., hit a 96.6 mph liner off Martinez’s back with two outs in the fourth for an infield single, and Seymour relieved. Jones’ opposite-field doubled landed beyond Mesa, driving in Volpe.

Junior Caminero singled in the sixth and Mesa sent a sweeper deep into the right-field seats to chase Fried.

Up next

Tampa Bay gets four days off and will have played just three games in 14 days before starting the ALCS.

Yankees fan booted out of stadium after home run interference controversy

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A police officer escorts a man wearing a New York Yankees jacket through a stadium concourse, surrounded by a crowd, Image 2 shows A man in a Yankees jacket walks through a crowded concourse flanked by security personnel and a police officer
yankees fan

He’s out of there! 

The Yankee fan who brought back flashbacks of the 1996 incident involving Jeffrey Maier was escorted out of Yankee Stadium after he stuck his arms out over the ledge of the wall in left field to catch a ball hit by Anthony Volpe in the bottom of the sixth in ALDS Game 3.

It led to a lengthy review and overturned what would have been a game-tying home run due to spectator interference in what became a season-ending 4-3 loss for the Yankees on Wednesday night.

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Video showed the Yankee fan, who was wearing a dark blue bomber jacket, being walked out of the outfield stands by a uniformed member of the NYPD and what appeared to be several members of Yankee Stadium security. 

He was also leaving with another fan, who was wearing a pinstriped Yankees jacket and cap. 

In another clip that circulated online after the controversial moment, security staff was seen approaching the fan in his seat almost immediately after the replay ruled on the fan interference call, which led to Volpe being awarded an RBI double, meaning only one run scored.

Yankee fans around them did not appear to have too much of a reaction toward the spectator as he exited with stadium staff. 

The Rays got out of the inning with a 4-3 lead, the same score as the final. 

The incident had a very close similarity to the infamous Maier incident in the 1996 ALCS between the Yankees and Orioles, when the then-young fan helped get a Derek Jeter home run over the wall in right field of the old stadium. 

A fan who interfered with a ball hit by Yankees second baseman Anthony Volpe is removed from the game in the sixth inning during Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Rays, Wednesday, October 7, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
A fan who interfered with a ball hit by New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe is removed from the game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

In a statement, Major League Baseball said it had “definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play” after looking at “all relevant angles.” 

“The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run,” the league said in a statement. “Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at second.” 

Dodgers’ ‘dinosaurs’ troll Padres after sending Braves packing

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Dave Roberts celebrating on the field with his team, Image 2 shows Dodgers players celebrate in the clubhouse after winning the NLDS, spraying beer and wearing

Before the Los Angeles Dodgers were ready to pop the bottles of champagne, they had to remind the San Diego Padres they kept the receipts.

As manager Dave Roberts was addressing the team following a 4-1 victory against the Atlanta Braves to advance to the NLCS, he was telling them there is no “more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers” and reminded them that they are “smarter, we’re better, and we’re tougher.”

As he was finishing up, a member of the Dodgers organization was heard adding to Roberts’ speech by saying, “And we’re dinosaurs.”

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts walking off the field at Truist Park after the Dodgers eliminated the Braves in the NLDS. AP Photo/Mike Stewart

While the member of the organization acknowledged they are a “dinosaur,” it might’ve gone completely over Roberts’ head as he continued to speak to his team.

The term “dinosaurs” was the latest jab added to the Dodgers and Padres rivalry when new San Diego owner, José E. Feliciano, made a statement that some took as a jab at the Dodgers by saying, “The owner of the Dodgers owns a lot of dinosaurs,” just before San Diego played Game 2 of the wild-card series against the Chicago Cubs.

While it’s unknown who confirmed the Dodgers are “dinosaurs,” the fans speculated that it might’ve been Miguel Rojas as @JustRay122 commented on X saying, “Was that Miggy Ro with the ‘we’re dinosaurs’ ������”

Players on the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrating their NLDS series victory over the Atlanta Braves AP Photo/Mike Stewart
Dodgers players celebrating after eliminating the Atlanta Braves in Game 4 of the NLDS. AP Photo/Mike Stewart

The fans are also embracing being dinosaurs, as “kida_kudz wrote, “We’re smarter, we’re better, we’re tougher, and we’re dinosaurs.”

Other fans are hoping the Dodgers take the dinosaur jab as a new marketing opportunity, as @KennyJ1975 commented, “If the Padres face us, the @Dodgers need to market dinosaur skeletons as much as possible. Make them mean, not friendly.”

While the Dodgers are celebrating the victory, they’re waiting to find out who their NLCS opponent will be as the Brewers currently have a 2-1 series lead over the Padres.

Yankees’ season ends in bitter disappointment again as Rays sweep ALDS

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows New York Yankees pitcher Max Fried reacts on the mound, Image 2 shows New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe celebrates rounding the bases during the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Image 3 shows Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. reaches to catch a ball at the outfield wall as New York Yankees fans reach out from the stands
yankees

In the end, the Yankees really did run it back. 

From the bulk of their offseason all the way down to a repeat October exit in the ALDS against the division foe who was simply better than them all season. 

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For the 17th straight year, the Yankees will not be World Series champions, this time falling woefully short of a 28th title as they were swept out of the ALDS in three games by the Rays in a 4-3 loss Wednesday night at a sold-out Yankee Stadium. 

After the Yankees lineup let them down in Game 1 and their defense joined in to fail them in Game 2, their bats were held in check once again in Game 3 and Max Fried could not limit the damage, resulting in an all-too-familiar feeling in The Bronx. 

“It’s the worst fricking feeling in the world,” said manager Aaron Boone, whose voice was heavy after leaving a clubhouse full of hugs and goodbyes. 

Anthony Volpe rounds the bases on what originally was a game-tying two-run homer but that was later ruled an RBI double after review during the sixth inning of the Yankees’ season-ending Game 3 ALDS loss to the Rays on Oct, 7, 2026 in the Bronx. Robert Sabo for New York Post

The playoff run ended with Aaron Judge watching from the dugout, the Yankees unable to get deep enough to give their captain a chance to return from a right calf strain that he suffered in mid-September. After they survived the three-time MVP missing over half the regular season with a right rib stress fracture, the Yankees could not do the same in October, so Judge was one of the last ones left in the dugout watching another team celebrate on their field once again. 

“Just hating every single moment of it,” Judge said. “Thinking about the whole year, thinking about missed opportunities in the season, in that series, things we could have improved on, things I can improve on.” 

Tampa Bay left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. reaches to catch an RBI double from Anthony Volpe as fans reach out for the ball in the sixth inning of the Yankees’ Game 3 season-ending loss to the Rays. John Angelillo/UPI/Shutterstock

And so, a year after they bailed out of the ALDS in four games against the AL East champion Blue Jays, the Yankees played their way into another early exit, entering another offseason in which they will face more questions about how they might finally end their drought — if and when baseball is played next year with a labor battle looming. 

Boone, who has guided the Yankees to plenty of regular-season success across his nine years at the helm, has a year left on his contract. But with the repeated playoff failures of his team, will he get a 10th season? 

Aaron Judge and shortstop George Lombard Jr. look out onto the field after the Yankees’ Game 3 season-ending loss to the Rays. JASON SZENES FOR NEW YORK POST

Brian Cashman’s contract is up, though the longtime GM still seems likely to return barring a stunner from Hal Steinbrenner. 

“[The front office] gives us a winning team every single year, but that’s not good enough here, in New York,” Judge said. “We’re the Yankees. You got to go out and expect championships and go all in every year. So I’m excited to see what they do.” 

After clobbering the Red Sox in a wild-card series in which they never trailed, the Yankees never led against the Rays. They mustered all of five runs across the three games, their lineup outside of Ben Rice coming up small. 

Max Fried reacts after giving up a single to third baseman Junior Caminero during
the sixth inning of the Yankees’ season-ending Game 3 loss to the Rays. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“They outplayed us, plain and simple,” Rice said. “Outpitched us. Outhit us. It’s really that simple. … It’s a failure. We weren’t able to get the job done.” 

Rice was on deck in the ninth inning when Trent Grisham — taking over the leadoff spot for Rice in Game 3 with Boone trying to get men on base in front of Rice — with the tying run on second, chased a pitch well out of the zone to end it. 

Twice after the Yankees had tied the game, Fried gave up a home run to hand the Rays the lead back. The second came in the sixth, when Fried hung a sweeper and by the time Victor Mesa Jr. put a swing on it, the left-hander had dropped to his knee because he knew what was coming. Mesa’s two-run shot sailed high and far into the right field seats, giving the Rays a 4-2 lead. 

Spencer Jones cannot rob a home run hit by Ryan Vilade during the
fourth inning of the Yankees’ season-ending loss to the Rays. Robert Sabo for New York Post
New York Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham strikes out swinging with a runner on base for the final out of the ninth inning during Game 3 of the American League Division Series. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

In the bottom of the frame, the Yankees briefly thought they had tied it on a two-run homer from Anthony Volpe that had the building shaking. But replays showed a fan reached over the left field wall to interfere with the ball that was not going to clear the fence, and after a crew-chief initiated video review, the play was ruled an RBI double to make it a 4-3 game. Spencer Jones then struck out to strand Volpe at second. 

A few innings later, it was the same song and dance inside the Yankees clubhouse. 

“This is my fourth season, it’s been four too many times having this taste in my mouth,” Volpe said. “At this point, I don’t even think ‘motivated’ is the right word. I think it’s just pissed off. … I just feel like there’s too many chips added to your shoulder that it just feels like enough’s enough.”

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s solo HR helps Padres even Game 4 with Brewers

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a solo home run off a pitch by Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Robert Gasser in Game 4 of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

It was Tatis' eighth postseason career home run in 22 games.

The home run served as a quick response to the Brewers' run scored earlier in the inning. The game is tied at one.

The Padres find themselves in a must-win situation for a second consecutive night after losing in the first two games in the series in Milwaukee.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fernando Tatis Jr.'s solo HR helps Padres even Game 4 with Brewers

Fan interference denies Anthony Volpe a tying homer for Yankees against Rays in Game 3 of ALDS

NEW YORK — Anthony Volpe was denied a tying home run for the New York Yankees in Game 3 of their AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays when umpires ruled a fan interfered with his drive to deep left field Wednesday night.

The play was initially called a two-run homer that would have tied the score at 4 with two outs in the sixth inning. But a lengthy video review by Major League Baseball determined a fan reached over the wall to catch the ball as Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. tried in vain for a leaping grab.

Spectator interference became the ruling, and Volpe was awarded an RBI double that scored George Lombard Jr. from first base, trimming Tampa Bay’s lead to 4-3 at Yankee Stadium.

There was another slight delay after some fans in left threw debris onto the field, and Spencer Jones then struck out against Griffin Jax to end the inning.

“After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play. The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run. Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at 2B,” MLB said in a statement from the Replay Center.

Mesa hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer off Max Fried in the top of the sixth to put Tampa Bay ahead.

The AL East champion Rays came in leading the best-of-five series 2-0.

Jake Peavy puts musical chops on display with NLDS Game 4 national anthem

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Peter Rosenberg sings while playing acoustic guitar on a baseball field before a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres, Image 2 shows Two men performing music on stage, one holding a microphone and the other playing an acoustic guitar
Jake Peavy performs the national anthem.

Moments before the Padres and Brewers started Game 4 of the NLDS, San Diego had a former legend kick things off.

Former Padres pitcher Jake Peavy was joined by former infielder and coach Tim Flannery on Wednesday night, and the two opened the game by performing the national anthem.

Padres legendary pitcher Jake Peavy performs the national anthem, ahead of Wednesday night’s game. Getty Images
Jake Peavy and Tim Flannery perform the national anthem before Game 4 of the NLDS begins. Getty Images

As Flannery kicked off the anthem, started strumming his guitar and singing, Peavy was standing right beside him and was participating in the song.

When the two were nearing the end and sang, “O say does that star spangle, banner yet wave,” they received a large round of applause from the San Diego fans who sold out Petco Park.

For Peavy, playing music has become a passion he’s fully embraced in his post-playing career, as he performs in a band called “Jake Peavy & The Outsiders.”

It’s also not the first time Peavy has combined baseball and music at the same time, as he was spotted playing an electric guitar during a live broadcast between the Mariners and Padres last May.

Peavy played eight seasons in a Padres uniform until he was traded by the team in the middle of the 2009 season to the Chicago White Sox.

Jake Peavy throws out the first pitch ahead of Tuesday nights Padres vs. Brewers game. Getty Images

In 2007, Peavy had a Cy Young season for the Padres, when he won 19 games and pitched with a 2.54 ERA, while having 240 strikeouts.

Peavy was a back-to-back World Series champion when he played for the Red Sox in 2013 and the Giants in 2014.

In 2023, Peavy was inducted to the Padres Hall of Fame.

As San Diego is taking on Milwaukee, they are hoping to even the series at after avoiding elimination in Tuesday night’s 4-3 win.

Dodgers survive Atlanta. Their greatness – and flaws – will be for all to see in NLCS

The on-field celebration was so brief you could have missed it, as appropriate for Game 62 in Phoenix as a clinching Game 4 of the National League Division Series. The clubhouse histrionics were soggy, the words from Miguel Rojas and Dave Roberts poignant as ever, befitting a journey that’s now reached 166 games. Yet the booze fountain slowed after a 10-minute burst.

When you win your eighth consecutive postseason series, are aiming for your third consecutive World Series championship, all part of 14 consecutive trips to the playoffs, there’s a certain mastery in toeing the fine line between “act like you’ve been there” and appreciating just how very hard it is.

The Dodgers know. And this particular romp through October is about to get much more difficult.

The Atlanta Braves made the Dodgers aware of their own mortality for about 36 hours of this National League Division Series. And then a Braves team that was outmanned in the best of times but significantly diminished after surviving a wild card series folded in the face of all that deluxe Dodgers depth.

Dodgers players celebrate after the clincher against Atlanta.

This NLDS ended Wednesday, Oct. 7, when the Dodgers pushed across three runs in the final three innings to register a 4-1 victory and eliminate Atlanta in four games.

It was workmanlike, “grindy,” as they like to say, in some ways an ideal level of rigor to begin this playoff run. Yet the Braves’ ample resistance was, due to their three-game survival of their wild-card series against Philadelphia, compromised.

To steal a metaphor from Atlanta’s exurban ballpark, the Dodgers Beat the Freeze. But in the National League Championship Series and, perhaps, World Series to come, they’ll no longer have a head start.

“We understand that the job’s not done. We have eight more wins. Stay focused,” Roberts told his team. “There’s no more talented team than the Los Angeles Dodgers. We’re smarter, we’re better and we’re tougher.”

Probably all true. Yet it’s fair to wonder if “better” applies when it matters most – right now.

The Dodgers won 100 games, yet a bevy of injuries and ailments that dogged them in the latter portion of the season seemed evident against Atlanta.

Will Smith, their backbone of a catcher who received all 73 innings of their seven-game World Series triumph in 2025 and never really seemed to recover, went 1-for-16.

Blake Snell, dogged by shoulder and groin woes all season, did not get out of the fourth inning of his Game 2 start. Tyler Glasnow was good for four innings in Game 4.

And of course, Shohei Ohtani was nowhere to be seen on the mound – and virtually invisible in the batter’s box.

The two-way superstar reduced to an ailing DH had two singles in 15 at-bats, struck out four times and had Roberts searching for hope before Game 4, noting his at-bats were better, and that his “misses are better because they are to the big part of the field versus hitting the ball on the ground, to the right side of the infield.”

Well, in his final at-bat of the NLDS, Ohtani hit the ball on the ground, to the right side of the infield, just 85 mph off the bat against a fading Tyler Mahle in the seventh inning.

An hour later, the champagne flying, Roberts told Fox Sports in a clubhouse interview: “If we’re going to win eight more games, we’re going to need Shohei.”

Of course, these are the Dodgers, and the sky will be blue tomorrow. Max Muncy and Kiké Hernandez are forever, the former slamming three home runs and the latter playing the joker role perfectly against Chris Sale, crushing his 17th career postseason homer off the 6-6 ace.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on a historic run, ever the unicorn in this postseason of openers and four-and-poor starters. And relievers Edwín Diaz and Tanner Scott, signed for $69 million and $72 million the past two seasons, are both healthy and locking down the eighth and ninth innings, with Edgardo Henriquez’s heat a nice middle-inning bridge.

Playing a seven-inning game against this collection of talent is daunting. But the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays are complete teams, blessed with either real postseason rotations or a force of nature like Jacob Misiorowski, and both blessed with youth that the Dodgers now lack.

They’re the type of teams that expose opponents’ weaknesses, that will make Teoscar Hernández’s left field adventures prove far more penal, that will grind the Snells and Glasnows into early showers, and, in the case of the Brewers, have come back to October baseball again and again and again.

One of these times, they will break through. One of these times, the Dodgers won’t survive that moment that, a few weeks later, might cause them to wonder, “How did we pull that off?”

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Or maybe they will. Appropriately, this Dodgers run is shaping up a little bit like the 2000 Yankees. The last team to threepeat survived an 87-win campaign to win their division, survived plucky Oakland and potent Seattle to reach a World Series where they steamrolled the Mets.

Eventually, all that Yankee experience mattered.

These Dodgers know their gravitas matters, too. And heck, they won 100 games, easily winning their division, and seven innings of Yamamoto.

So come Wednesday night, they celebrated again, not too hard but also soaking up every drop. A core that took nearly a decade to win its first World Series knows how fragile all this is.

Fortunately, they ran into a Braves team ready to crack. Now, the true tests await, the Dodgers’ greatness – and deficiencies – about ready to go under the microscope.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dodgers survive Atlanta. Their greatness - and flaws - will be for all to see in NLCS

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Anthony Volpe's game-tying home run in Game 3 overturned after fan interference

Anthony Volpe had his 2026 postseason moment... and then it was taken away.

The Yankees infielder, starting at second base, got around and launched a blast off Griffin Jax to left field. The ball kept carrying as left fielder Victor Mesa went back to the wall and jumped. However, the outfielder could not snag the ball as it went into the stands to the delight of the Yankees fans in the front row. Mesa immediately looked up into the stands before staring back onto the field to indicate he thought the fans interfered with his attempt.

The umps called it a home run on the field as Volpe rounded the bases, seemingly tying the game at 4-4 in the sixth. The call was reviewed by MLB and after a lengthy delay, they ruled there was fan interference. However, instead of calling Volpe out, MLB ruled Mesa would not have been able to come down with the catch and awarded Volpe second. They also allowed George Lombard Jr., who was on first and running with two outs, to score, cutting the Rays' lead to 4-3.

MLB released this statement regarding the ruling.

“After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play. The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run. Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at 2B.”

Spencer Jones came up next and struck out, stranding Volpe at second. 

The run being taken away proved to be costly, as the Yankees ultimately fell 4-3 and were swept out of the ALDS.

"I thought they did a good job with it," Aaron Boone said of the call after the game. "When he hit it, to my eye looking out there, I was a little concerned right away because it felt like something, I wasn't sure. And then seeing the replay and seeing it unfold, I thought they did the right thing. I thought they got it right."

Despite missing out on a moment, Volpe doesn't put the Game 3 loss on that one call. 

“We lost. That’s what we’re dealing with now. That’s just what happened," Volpe said after the game. "We had more opportunities, had much more innings left. We just didn’t come through.”

 

Fan interference robs Yankees of home run – 30 years after Jeffrey Maier

A fan in left field just cost the Yankees a run in an elimination game.

Anthony Volpe drove a 1-0 sinker to left field with two outs in the sixth inning of Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The stadium went nuts thinking it was a two-run, game-tying home run.

Instead, replay showed a fan reached out and the ball hit his outstretched arms before falling over the left-field fence. Underneath, Rays' left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. was trying to catch the ball and immediately complained to the officials.

After a replay review, it was ruled fan interference and a double. The Yankees pulled within 4-3 and Spencer Jones struck out to strand Volpe, the tying run on second base.

The Rays held on to the one-run lead to secure the Game 3 win and a spot in the AL Championship Series.

The replay officials said it was "definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play. The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught."

Yankee fans have seen this before, but with the opposite result.

On Oct. 9, 1996 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series against the Baltimore Orioles, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached over the right-field wall at the old Yankee Stadium and pulled Derek Jeter's eighth-inning fly ball into the stands. Umpire Rich Garcia called it a home run, which tied the game. Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco said he was about to catch it.

There was no replay to fix it. The Yankees won in 11 innings on a Bernie Williams homer, took the series and won the World Series.

Maier gave the Yankees a home run. Wednesday's fan took one away.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fan interference robs Yankees of home run – 30 years after Jeffrey Maier

Ronald Acuña Jr. showered with boos in potential final at-bat with Braves

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Atlanta Braves fans celebrating in the stands during a game, Image 2 shows Atlanta Braves player Ronald Acuña Jr. wearing a helmet and team jersey during the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers
Braves fans shower Ronald Acuna Jr. in boos.

Ronald Acuña Jr. had a chance to save the Atlanta’s season, but he didn’t. And Braves fans were letting him have it.

Before the Braves season ended with a 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Reggie Chatman Jr. posted a video on X of fans at Truist Park pouring down boos on Acuña Jr. after he squashed what would be the Braves’ final chance to save their season.

Atlanta Braves fans shower Ronald Acuna Jr. in boo’s during the seventh inning. AP Photo/Brynn Anderson

When Acuña Jr. stepped up to the plate, Atlanta was already down to their final two outs of the seventh inning, but were given a spark after center fielder Michael Harris hit a double towards right field.

Acuña Jr. came up in the next at-bat and immediately swung at the first pitch he saw, which allowed the Dodgers to escape the inning.

Acuña Jr. walked back to the Braves dugout, and the boos began.

The reaction by the Braves fans caught the internet by storm as Chatman Jr.’s post had garnered 46,800 views within an hour after it was posted.

@Lary5Shot commented on the post and said, “That Ronald Acuña trade notification is gonna hit like CRACK. Get this JABRONI OUTTA HERE”

Ronald Acuna Jr. is showered in boos after striking out in the seventh inning. Getty Images

Acuña Jr.’s performance in the postseason was being compared to a prop as @tartbuilds posted a photo of a “wacky inflatable tube man” standing in his place.

His mentality towards the season was also being called out as @RMurray43 commented, “That dude does not want to be here. He was checked out after the WBC.”

The NLDS was a rough go for Acuña Jr. as he collected only two hits in the series, while striking out four times.

Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr. is showered in boos after grounding out in the seventh inning. Getty Images

Before the opportunity to be Atlanta’s hero, the Dodgers tacked on two runs that were courtesy of Andy Pages, who snapped a team drought of 0-14 when runners were in scoring position.

In the eighth and ninth innings, the Braves went down easy as they were retired 1-2-3.

For Acuña Jr., Wednesday night could’ve potentially been his last time wearing an Atlanta uniform, as he has a club option heading into the offseason.

Anthony Volpe’s homer overturned in Yankee Stadium fan controversy

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows A baseball player in a white uniform leaps to make a catch against the outfield wall in front of cheering fans, Image 2 shows A baseball player reaching up to catch a ball near the stadium wall while fans lean over the railing
Volpe

Thirty years later, another Jeffrey Maier made an appearance in The Bronx in an attempt to save another October game for the Yankees. 

But unlike Oct. 9, 1996, when the young fan aided what became a home run from Derek Jeter, replay review exists in 2026. 

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In the sixth inning of a game the Yankees trailed by two, a fan reached over the left-field seats and turned a long drive from Anthony Volpe into a game-tying, two-run home run — until the league’s replay center took a look and determined the ball would have stayed in play if not for the overaggressive fan’s hands. 

“Crazy,” said Volpe, who watched the replay, hoped for the best, but was awarded an RBI double that cut the deficit to one. 

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe (11) rounds the bases during the sixth inning of Game 3 of the ALDS against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Anthony Volpe home run overturned by fan interference. X/MLB

Spencer Jones then struck out to keep the Rays ahead by the game’s final score: The Yankees were 4-3 losers, ending their season in a sweep at the hands of the Rays. 

On the field, umpires originally signaled a home run from Volpe, who had rounded the bases and went through a line of high-fives in the dugout before the play was reviewed. The fan celebrated with the ball while left fielder Victor Mesa Jr., who had risen to attempt to catch it, looked up toward the crowd as if wondering what had just happened. 

“After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official definitively determined the spectator interfered with the ball over the field of play,” MLB said in a statement. “The ball would not have left the playing field nor would it have been caught. The call is OVERTURNED, there was spectator interference and no home run. Additionally, the Replay Official scored one run and placed the batter-runner at second.” 

Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. makes an attempt on a ball interfered with by fans that umpires reviewed and ruled a run-scoring double by New York Yankees’ Anthony Volpe during the sixth inning. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura

The season ticket-holding fan was quickly ushered out of the stadium by security for interfering with the play. 

“I thought they did a good job with it,” manager Aaron Boone said. “When he hit it, to my eye looking out there, I was a little concerned right away because it felt like something, I wasn’t sure. And then seeing the replay and seeing it unfold, I thought they did the right thing. I thought they got it right.” 

A few decades ago, the fan would have been hailed as a hero as Maier was. Thirty years ago Friday, Maier’s name became famous in the area and beyond when the 12-year-old — attending Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS between the Yankees and Orioles — crept his glove over the wall in right field and intercepted a long drive that Tony Tarasco likely would have caught, ruled a home run that helped give rise to the legend of Jeter.

Trump reveals Roger Clemens will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Roger Clemens pitching on the mound, Image 2 shows Roger Clemens waving to the audience at a campaign rally

Roger Clemens has a new award to add to his collection.

The two-time Yankees World Series champ was informed on Wednesday that he would be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, when introducing President Donald Trump at a rally in San Antonio, Texas.

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“We’re giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom,” Trump said.

Clemens, an 11-time All-Star and seven-time Cy Young Award winner, was caught off guard by the revelation.

“Well, I’m stunned, number one,” he told the crowd. “And again, 24 years, y’all. This supersedes anything that, obviously, I’ve done in my playing career. And to get it from this man, this president, there wouldn’t be another president I’d want to get [it] from.”

Roger Clemens introduces President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio. AP Photo/Eric Gay

The Texas native played 24 MLB seasons, the first 13 with the Red Sox before spending two with the Blue Jays. He then came to The Bronx for five seasons, went to Houston for two and returned to the Yankees for one last go around in 2007 at the age of 44.

“The Rocket” racked up a bevy of awards along the way, including the 1986 American League MVP as well as twice winning the pitching Triple Crown (1997, ’98).

Roger Clemens throws a pitch against the Braves during the 1999 World Series. New York Post

Trump called Clemens, who ranks ninth all-time with 354 career wins, “maybe the greatest pitcher of all time.”

His statistical achievements weren’t enough to get him into the Baseball Hall of Fame, as his candidacy was tainted by alleged steroid use — he was mentioned 82 times in the Mitchell Report in 2007, though he never tested positive for the banned drug.

Still, Clemens, who never achieved more than 61.6 percent of the vote needed for the 75 percent threshold needed for entry into Cooperstown, remains eligible through the Today’s Game Committee.

If he does make it, he’ll join a unique club of fellow Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients that includes the likes of Babe Ruth, Vin Scully, Yogi Berra, Ernie Banks, Stan Musial, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson, Mariano Rivera and Joe DiMaggio.

Trump has given the award to numerous athletes during his presidential terms, including Ruth and Rivera, as well as Tiger Woods, Roger Staubach, Jerry West and Connor Hellebuyck, after the goalie’s gold medal-winning Olympic effort in February.

Braves fail to find magic touch as Postseason run ends in scuffling fashion for bats

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 07: Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after a strike out against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the third inning in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Before this season started (and even before the Postseason started) the big question concerning this 2026 Atlanta Braves team was whether or not they would have enough pitching (particularly in the rotation) in order to find a way to be successful.

94 wins, an NL East title, a Wild Card Series win and a Divisional Series exit later, we now have the answer: Yes, they had enough pitching. Even when the rotation was strained to its very limits like they were during the Postseason, there were no terrible blow-ups during this run. Chris Sale gave it all he had, Tyler Mahle performed admirably and the bullpen was about as good as you could ask them to be without being just straight-up perfect.

Instead, the autopsy for the 2026 Braves will reveal that at the end of the day, a good ol’ fashioned lack of hitting is what eventually doomed the Braves. Now granted, it’s pretty tough to go through the crazy boss rush of starting pitchers that Atlanta had to deal with across both the Wild Card and the Divisional Series and expect them to just turn it on like the ‘27 Yankees but it’s also rough to see this team go out like they did at the plate.

Key pieces of the core of Atlanta’s lineup had an absolute nightmare in this series. Austin Riley went 0-for-13 with six strikeouts. Drake Baldwin went 1-for-14 with five strikeouts. Matt Olson went 2-for-16 with six strikeouts. Ronald Acuña Jr. went 2-for-15 with four strikeouts. Sure, the Dodgers have an absolute conveyor belt of strong pitching but plain-and-simply, that won’t cut it in the Postseason.

“The Dodgers have something to do with that. They’re going for their third straight world championship for a reason. Their arms just keep coming at you,” stated Walt Weiss when he was asked about the lack of hitting during this series in particular. “…You have a lot of unsung heroes a lot of times in the postseason, and sometimes guys struggle. It’s obviously magnified because you’re playing under a microscope. But I think that we struggled with runners in scoring position. So did the Dodgers. The games were really tight. I thought we gave them all they could handle. But it’s a good team over there.”

Usually any type of struggles of hitting with runners in scoring position is overblown and you could’ve argued that too, as Weiss did mention that the Dodgers had a tough time hitting with RISP, themselves. With that being said, 0-for-23 with RISP is not going to cut it. Two of the RBI that Atlanta had in this series came from the Dodgers basically donating it via pitches that went awry while the Braves had a runner on third. The clutch hitting (particularly in the latter innings) just wasn’t there for Atlanta in this series and it ended up playing a major role in what sent them into the cold and especially uncertain offseason coming up.

With that being said, it’s hard to call this season anything other than a solid success. Again, they won 94 games (in weird fashion but still) and won the division. Any time a blue flag goes up on the light tower outside of the seats in right-center, it’s a solid season and one you take to the bank. The pain and disappointment is certainly palpable but some perspective from the disappointment reveals that this isn’t a season that the Braves should just flush away — definitely not like the train wreck that was the 2025 season.

“Of course [we’re] disappointed,” said Weiss when he was asked about the tough ending to the season. “You always are when you’re not the last team standing. There’s only one team that goes home happy at the end of the year.”

“But I’ve talked about how proud I am of this group all year. And that doesn’t change,” continued Weiss. “It’s a privilege to manage this group. And the way they compete and the way they pull for one another, the things that we overcame this year, I mean, really impressive. And it’s because of the guys in that room. It was a privilege to manage those guys.”

I asked Weiss about what he could take away from his first season back at the helm of a big league ballclub and he was reflective on how things went. “It was great. It was a lot of fun for me. Everything that we went through, and we basically went wire to wire to win the division. And I always say that’s the toughest one to win because it takes six months,” explained Weiss.

“Now it’s the ones in the postseason that are more special when you win those. But winning a division is tough to do, and we basically went wire-to-wire. A lot to feel good about. You don’t ever feel good about losing. Like I said, there’s only one team, when the season’s all said and done, that’s happy. There’s only one out of 30.”

Indeed, that type of perspective is crucial when it comes to baseball and it’s a small comfort to take with you as another long season comes to a close. With the offseason locking as uncertain as ever, it’s very important to take stock of the good just as much as it is to address the bad. There are going to be a lot of questions about the core of this team (particularly in the lineup) but at the same time, it’s been exciting to see a revelatory season from Michael Harris II and it was certainly encouraging to see him continue that into the Postseason.

The end of the season always stinks (especially with what awaits the baseball world this Winter) but the Braves can at least take it on to the house knowing that this ended in October with a divisional title instead of September with a completely lost season. The wait for another World Series title continues for another season and now it’s on Alex Anthopoulos and Atlanta’s front office to figure out a way to fix what ended up ailing this team in October. We’ll see what happens, y’all.

Dodgers’ Andy Pages snaps insane drought that should strike fear across MLB

A Los Angeles Dodgers batter swings at a pitch during the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves.
Oct 7, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages (44) hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game four of the NLDS...

As the Dodgers are set to advance to the NLCS for the third year in a row from a 4-1 victory over the Atlanta Braves, Andy Pages did something that the Dodgers haven’t done in a long time.

Bring home runners in scoring position.

Pages’ two-RBI go-ahead single in the seventh inning was the first time in the series they had a hit with runners on base.

Andy Pages snaps the Dodgers’ 0-14 drought with runners in scoring position. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Coming into Wednesday, the Dodgers were 0-14 with runners in scoring position, as they’ve relied heavily on the long ball.

Through the first two games of the series, Pages was hitless and was enduring an 0-7 cold streak. In Game 3, he had two hits, then had another two-hit performance in Game 4, putting his series average up to .286.

The Dodgers’ first run in Wednesday night’s victory came after Shohei Ohtani scored on an error by Mauricio Dubon, when the ball bounced off his glove.

After Pages gave them the lead, the Dodgers added an insurance run when Max Muncy hit a solo home run over the right field fence.

Starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow pitched 4 2/3 innings and gave up only one hit, while striking out five batters.

Los Angeles Dodgers snap a 0-14 drought for runners in scoring position. AP Photo/Colin Hubbard
Dodgers snap a 0-14 drought for runners in scoring position. AP Photo/Mike Stewart

The Braves threatened in the sixth inning, when Ozzie Albies hit a leadoff double off of Alex Vesia. Manager Dave Roberts brought in Edgardo Henriquez to retire the next three batters he faced and pitched two more outs in the seventh.

Edwin Diaz came out to close the ninth and needed only eight pitches to pick up his second save of the series, as he had one strikeout and ended the game by getting Austin Riley to fly out towards right.