Making a prediction of what will come from a replay review is often difficult. But that played out in a particularly interesting way Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader between the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies. There, the Rockies looked to have a game-winning home-run from No. 9 hitter Jacob Stallings in the bottom of the ninth, but it was eventually called an out thanks to fan interference with left fielder Dylan Moore. Here’s how the play looked live on the Mariners’ Root Sports Northwest broadcast:
Jacob Stallings' potential bottom-of-the-ninth walk-off HR for the Rockies was eventually ruled an out due to fan interference. Here's that play as it happened. pic.twitter.com/3xHXri6e9J
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) April 21, 2024
Mariners’ broadcasters Aaron Goldsmith and Mike Blowers were initially quite convinced this wasn’t coming back, with Goldsmith saying “This game is over”:
Mariners' broadcasters Aaron Goldsmith and Mike Blowers were quite convinced the review of this play wouldn't go this way. "This ballgame is over. There's no case to be made for the fan interfering with Dylan, is there?" "I don't think so." https://t.co/7sm9VJ1asz pic.twitter.com/OpXww3DThI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 21, 2024
But, after a crew chief challenge, this was ruled an out due to fan interference. And that shocked the Seattle broadcasters:
And then, the ruling and the Seattle booth reaction. “Whoa! Whoa! They ruled that he interfered with Dylan Moore. That fan just cost the Rockies a win.” pic.twitter.com/VwYR5EQuOa
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 21, 2024
Meanwhile, the Rockies’ broadcast team picked up on potential fan interference faster, but incorrectly concluded “That’s a homer”:
What should have been a walk-off home run for Jacob Stallings was called an out due to fan interference pic.twitter.com/yL9Pj6yGTo
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 21, 2024
This was a reasonably tough one to predict. There’s lots to consider there, including a determination on if the fan’s contact with the ball came in the field of play or not and a determination of if Moore would have caught it without interference. But it’s still interesting to see how the different broadcasts approached it, and particularly, how confident the Mariners’ broadcast team initially was that the game was over. (The Rockies did eventually win 2-1 in the 10th, but this was still a remarkable moment.)
[Awful Announcing on Twitter/X]
