3 days ago
Fan interference call overturns Xander Bogaerts' HR, Mike Shildt ejected in tough Padres loss
A fan interference ruling tipped the scales in the San Diego Padres' loss to the San Francisco Giants on Monday night.
In the bottom of the second inning at Petco Park, two fans reached over the wall in left field on a high fly ball hit by Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts. The ball appeared to touch the glove of Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos before making it over the wall. Umpires initially ruled it a home run, but overturned the decision on a replay review when they determined that a fan interfered with Ramos' ability to make a catch.
Xander Bogaerts was ruled out on what initially was called a home run after review showed there was fan interference on this play
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) August 19, 2025
A home run would have cut the Padres' deficit at that point to 4-1. Padres manager Mike Shildt left the dugout to argue the decision, which came after a lengthy discussion between umpires. Home plate umpire James Hoye ejected Shildt.
'Listen, I don't bark at the league a lot, but the definition that we got from replay was that it was clear that there was some impediment that took place,' Shildt told reporters after the Padres lost 4-3. 'Clearly, he didn't touch the baseball. … And if it's so clear, how come it takes 2 minutes, 40 seconds to figure it out? What are you looking for? If it's so clear, overturn it early, and if it's not, it's a home run.'
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He added, according to ESPN: 'I had a lot of time on my hands, and if you can find an angle where the fan touched the baseball, I'd like to see it.'
Ramos said his view was blocked by the fan.
'I did think I had it easier than that, but whenever I was about to catch it, I saw that his arm was over me kind of,' he said, according to 'I saw the replay. It only shows the guy on the bottom. It doesn't show the guy on the top. He was over me, literally over me. And his whole body was across the wall.'
Giants manager Bob Melvin believed the call 'was the right one.' MLB rule states, '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.'
The Padres' losing streak reached four games in part as a result of the play reversal. The defeat dropped them to 69-56, now two games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West, just four days after leading the division.
'It sucked,' Bogaerts said in the Padres clubhouse after the game. 'I can tell you that. But in life, sometimes there's some stuff you can control and some you can't.'
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