A fan at Yankee Stadium was ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after prying a foul ball out of the glove of Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts on Tuesday night.
Betts leaped at the wall in foul territory and initially caught Gleyber Torres‘ pop up in the first inning, but a fan in the first row with a gray Yankees‘ road jersey grabbed Betts’ glove with both hands and pulled the ball out. Torres was immediately called out on fan interference.
It was the second time Torres had an at-bat impacted by fan interference this World Series. With two outs in the ninth inning of Game 1 at Dodger Stadium, Torres hit a fly ball to left field, and a fan reached over and caught the ball. Torres was awarded a double.
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The Dodgers, who are one win away from their second title in five years, held a 2-0 lead on Freddie Freeman’s two-run homer in the top of the first off Luis Gil.
Yankees fan pulls ball out of Mookie Betts’ glove in World Series Game 4 | MLB on FOX
Tom Rinaldi sat down with Los Angeles Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman to talk about the impact his father has made throughout his life and what a World Series victory over the New York Yankees would mean.Â
After tying a World Series record by homering in five straight games Monday night, Freddie Freeman grinned and said, “Let’s hopefully make it six,” he said.
The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman delivered the next night in Game 4 against the New York Yankees. In the first inning, Freeman launched a changeup ball off of pitcher Luis Gil.
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In Game 3, Freeman put Los Angeles ahead 15 pitches into the game with a two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt, and the Dodgers beat the Yankees 4-2 to take a 3-0 World Series lead.
He matched the mark set when George Springer homered in Games 4 through 7 in 2017 as the Houston Astros beat the Dodgers for the title, then hit another in the 2019 opener against Washington.
Freeman homered in Atlanta’s last two games against Houston in the 2021 World Series, and he has connected in all four games of this one, breaking his tie with Springer and setting a new record. He became the first player to homer in the first four games of a World Series.
Freeman sprained his right ankle on Sept. 26 against San Diego while trying to avoid a tag at first base by San Diego’s Luis Arráez and missed the Dodgers’ last three regular-season games. He didn’t have any RBIs in the NL Division Series against San Diego and one in the NL Championship Series against the Mets.
Freeman didn’t play in the NLCS finale against the Mets and had six days off entering the World Series, allowing time for the ankle to get better.
“We went to Freddie several times and said, ‘Hey we got you the last two series,'” Dodgers teammate Max Muncy said. “This is Freddie telling us, ‘Hey, I got you this time.'”
An eight-time All-Star and the 2020 NL MVP, the 35-year-old Freeman has nine RBIs in the Series.
His game-ending, 10th-inning grand slam in Game 1 on Friday night, which gave the Dodgers a 6-3 win, was his first home run since Sept. 16. He followed Teoscar Hernández for back-to-back homers in the third inning of Game 2.
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“Not surprised he’s performing at this level,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Game 3. “He’s been very good in the postseason throughout his career.”
Freeman entered Tuesday night hitting .333 in the Series. He is one win from adding a second World Series title after the one he earned with Atlanta in 2021.
“I really just want to hoist that trophy,” he said Monday. “I don’t care how that happens. I don’t care if I go 0-for-the-next-70 with 70 strikeouts. As long as we win, that’s all I care about.”
Luis Gil will be on the mound for the Yankees, who will try to start a comeback from their 3-0 deficit, all while attempting to wake up bats that have struggled to come up with clutch hits so far. The Dodgers, meanwhile, will attempt to close things out with a bullpen game.
The “MLB on FOX” crew sat to dicuss the biggest factors behind the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 3-0 lead over the New York Yankees in the World Series. They make sure to bring up players like Freddie Freeman!