Sports

Colorado Rockies Catcher Jacob Stallings Loses Walk-Off Home Run Due To Fan Interference

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Getty Image / Matthew Stockman


Baseball is a strange game, and you’ll see something pretty rare nearly every day during the Major League Baseball season. But, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a walk-off home run waved off due to fan interference, which is what happened to the Colorado Rockies’ Jacob Stallings on Sunday.

Stallings came up to bat in a scoreless game in the 9th inning against the Seattle Mariners with the bases empty and socked a high fastball to deep left field. Mariners utility man Dan Moore got a great jump on the ball, and that’s when chaos ensued. Take a look.

That’s WILD. It’s hard to say if Dan Moore would’ve caught the ball had the fan not interfered. He did have a good shot at it, though. And, keeping that in mind, the umpires ruled that Jacob Stallings was out!

Here’s what MLB.com says about fan interference.

“In every case of spectator interference with a batted or thrown ball, the ball shall be declared dead and the baserunners can be placed where the umpire determines they would have been without the interference. When a spectator clearly prevents a fielder from catching a fly ball by reaching onto the field of play, the batter shall be ruled out. But no interference is called if a spectator comes in contact with a batted or thrown ball without reaching onto the field of play — even if a fielder might have caught the ball had the spectator not been there.”

So, the umpires ruled that the fan clearly prevented Dan Moore from catching Stalling’s would-be home run.  That’s been the type of luck the Rockies have had this year, as they entered the game an atrocious 4-16, the worst team in the National League.

That being said, the Rockies did win this game! After the Mariners scored a run in the top of the 10th,  Charlie Blackmon reached on an infield single, Ezequiel Tovar singled home the Manfred runner in Stallings, and then Ryan McMahon hit a ball to shortstop that Blackmon beat home.  The Rockies will look to sweep the doubleheader later Sunday evening.

This game won’t be remembered for what happened in the tenth inning, though. Rather, everyone will remember Jacob Stallings possibly getting robbed of a home run due to fan interference.