See squirrel wreak havoc at MLB game
A black squirrel ran onto the field during the Tigers vs Orioles game at Comerica Park.
Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a fly ball to left center 390 feet at Truist Park on Thursday, Aug. 6. The two Miami Miami outfielders knocked it the extra foot it needed to get over the fence. It still counted as the Atlanta Braves star’s 10th homer of the season.
In a bizarre play, Marlins left fielder Heriberto Hernandez and center fielder Esteury Ruiz rushed to get the ball that looked like it would bang off the wall. They ran right into each other with Ruiz flipping the ball over the fence and into the seats.
Acuna stood at first base looking for clarification of the weird play. After a brief delay the umpires signaled a home run and the Braves took a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
The umpires got it right. Rule 5.05(a)(9) gives the batter a home run when a fair fly is deflected over the fence in fair territory, and Acuna’s ball was still in the air when it hit them.
Had it bounced first, it would have been a ground-rule double. That is what cost the Tampa Bay Rays a run in the 2021 divisional playoff series at Fenway, when Kevin Kiermaier’s drive hit the wall, bounced off Hunter Renfroe and went into the bullpen.
The rule has produced at least one stranger moment.
Thursday night’s play brought back memories of Jose Canseco’s legendary gift of a homer to Cleveland in 1993. Carlos Martinez hit a fly ball to deep right. Canseco drifted back with his glove up, the ball got past it, hit the top of his head and bounced over the wall. It was Martinez’s fourth homer of the year and to make matters worse for Canseco and the Rangers, Cleveland won 7-6.
Canseco argued it should have been a four-base error. There was really no argument for the Marlins on Thursday night, it was just embarrassing.
The game went into a rain delay after the bottom of the third inning, Acuna’s homer giving the Braves the lead.