Yankees fans clash with Mookie Betts leads to controversial call in World Series Game 4

Mookie Betts took a risk on Tuesday night by engaging with two fans who may have escaped from the Bronx Zoo. Ultimately, Betts was rewarded for his persistence, and the two fans who made contact with him were removed from the game.

The incident began when Gleyber Torres led off the Yankees’ first inning in their 11-4 win over the Dodgers in Game 4 of the World Series with a fly ball to right field near the side wall.

As Betts reached to display the ball in his glove, a fan grabbed his wrist.

The ball dropped, but right field umpire Mark Carlson called Torres out due to fan interference.

Betts didn’t discuss the incident much afterward.

“When it comes to the first-inning play, it doesn’t matter,” Betts said. “We lost. It’s irrelevant. I’m fine. He’s fine. Everything is cool. We lost the game and that is kind of what I am focused on.”

Betts mentioned he didn’t speak to either fan involved in the interference.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted he hadn’t reviewed the replay of the play.

“I thought [Betts] had a beat on it and … a fan got in the way, and the umpires got it right.”

This wasn’t the first time in the series that Torres had a hit interfered with by a fan.

In Game 1 on Friday, Torres hit a drive to left-center that initially seemed like a home run.

A fan leaned over the fence to catch it, downgrading Torres’ hit to a double.

Despite the Dodgers leading the series 3-1, Betts acknowledged the Yankees’ determination.

“They are going to fight and if you have made it this far, you are going to have a resiliency and are going to fight the whole time,” Betts said. “We expect that. We didn’t play well today and they did and that is why they won.”