Spencer Steer's incredible effort came close to robbing Tommy Pham's home run on Friday night.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning of the Cincinnati Reds - Arizona Diamondbacks game, Reds left fielder Steer seemed to prevent Pham from hitting a potential three-run home run. However, a little fan in the front row of Chase Field promptly snatched the ball from Steer with his own glove.
Initially, a home run was declared. However, after a review, the umpire ruled that the fan had interfered with play by reaching over the top of the wall and onto the field of play, terminating the inning.
Here's the video:
"Spencer Steer almost robbed Pham's home run, but a young fan interfered and caught it instead. After review, Tommy Pham was called out, and the fan was ejected. What a wild sequence. #Reds #Dbacks"
Pham added two more runs to Jace Peterson's two-run triple in the fourth inning, giving the Diamondbacks a 5-1 advantage against Hunter Greene (2-6).
In the seventh inning, with Arizona ahead 8-4, Pham hit a soaring drive to the wall on the left.
The ball appeared to be taken away from Pham by Reds outfielder Spencer Steer, who timed his leap well and had the ball in his glove, or so he thought, but a fan had taken it out of his glove.
The following is the MLB's description of spectator interference:
"In every case of spectator interference with a batted or thrown ball, the ball shall be declared dead and the baserunners can be placed where the umpire determines they would have been without the interference.
"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 Diamondbacks broadcast later reported that the child and his family weren't ejected from Chase Field; they were just relocated.
Tommy Pham - an asset for Diamondbacks
Tommy Pham joined the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023 after leaving the San Diego Padres, and he has since been a valuable addition to the team.
Pham has demonstrated impressive performances. His first notable achievement came on Aug. 12, 2023, when he crushed a three-run home run against his old team, the Padres, playing a key role in the Diamondbacks' 10-5 win.
For Tommy Pham, the game between the Diamondbacks and Padres on Aug. 17 wasn't just another one. The contest at Petco Park, the place Pham formerly called home, saw him hit a significant home run, making the day an emotional victory for both him and the Diamondbacks.