Rays sweep Yankees after replay overturns Volpe's potential tying homer

The Tampa Bay Rays eliminated the New York Yankees with a 4–3 victory on Wednesday, completing a three-game American League Division Series sweep after a replay review erased a potential tying home run. According to The Guardian's report, Anthony Volpe's sixth-inning drive was changed from a two-run homer to an RBI double because a spectator interfered with the ball at Yankee Stadium.

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Volpe came to the plate with George Lombard Jr on base and hit a sinker from Griffin Jax toward left field. The initial ruling appeared to bring New York level at 4–4 with two outs. Volpe completed his trip around the bases, but the review showed a fan reaching over the wall as Tampa Bay left fielder Victor Mesa Jr attempted to make a leaping catch.

Replay umpire Malachi Moore overturned the decision. In its explanation, Major League Baseball said the spectator had interfered over the field of play and that the ball would neither have cleared the wall nor been caught. Volpe was placed at second base, while Lombard was allowed to score from first. Instead of a tie, the ruling left the Yankees trailing 4–3, which became the final score.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone accepted the decision, telling reporters that watching the replay persuaded him the officials had made the correct call. Rays manager Kevin Cash explained that Tampa Bay's replay official had noted Lombard was already beyond second when the fan touched the ball. Mesa believed he might have reached the drive, although MLB's formal ruling concluded it would not have been caught.

Some spectators threw debris onto the field after the review, causing another delay. Spencer Jones then struck out against Jax to end the inning, leaving New York without the equalising run. Security and police escorted the spectator involved out of the stadium. Earlier in the sixth, Mesa had hit a two-run home run off Yankees starter Max Fried.

The sweep sends Tampa Bay into a series against either the Chicago White Sox or Cleveland Guardians for a place in the World Series. Cleveland kept that matchup alive with a 9–3 win in Game 3 on Wednesday, cutting Chicago's advantage to 2–1. For New York, the one-run defeat ended both the division series and its season.