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Yankees' season ends in game featuring pivotal fan interference call
Was New York Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe robbed of a home run? IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

History nearly repeats itself as Yankees' season ends in game that featured pivotal fan interference call

By Steven Kubitza  |  Last updated Oct 8, 2026 7:25 AM ET
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The New York Yankees are officially going home after losing a do-or-die Game 3 Wednesday night in the Bronx against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Aaron Judge-less Yankees scuffled on offense, managing three runs in the heartbreaking loss.

What happened in the bottom of the sixth inning may be talked about for years since the Yankees ended up losing.

The final score in the game was 4-3. Yet the score was marked as 4-4 for a few minutes after what appeared to be an Anthony Volpe game-tying home run in the bottom of the sixth. However, the ball hit the hands of a fan right near the top of the wall.

That is where the controversy begins, reminding fans of a similar situation 30 years ago.

Yankees fans reminded of Jeffrey Maier incident

Volpe hit the ball deep to left field out toward the wall. That is when a fan reached over, right as the Rays left fielder was leaping for the ball.

The initial call on the field was a home run. The play was then reviewed and ruled a double because of fan interference. The Yankees would not score another run for the remainder of the game.

It was 30 years ago, nearly to the day, Oct. 9, 1996, when a young Yankees fan named Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall to gift the Yankees a home run against the Baltimore Orioles in the 1996 ALCS. That was before the days of replay, and his legend lives on in New York to this day. The Yankees went on to win the World Series that year following a tight 5-4 win in that infamous ALCS Game 1.

The fan who reached over this time was an adult and potentially cost his team a game-tying hit, though the ball appeared to be coming up just short of going out. However, we will never know for sure given the interference.

Modern MLB replay prevented another controversy at Yankee Stadium, and this fan won't go down in Yankees lore as a hero. That spot is reserved for Maier alone.

Yankees fans are left wondering what may have happened if the fan never reached over the wall and will have all offseason to do so.

Steven Kubitza

Steven Kubitza is a Cleveland, Ohio, native with over a decade in the news industry. His work has been featured on Yahoo Sports, FOX Sports, and FanSided, among other outlets. He is a lifelong Browns fan who is convinced the team will turn things around at some point in the next 50 years

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