The New York Yankees held a 3-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the top of the eighth inning on Sunday, April 20, when outfielder Aaron Judge launched a towering shot to left field off pitcher Eric Orze. It looked like a home run, but it was ruled foul.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone immediately argued the call and was ejected from the game. Most in the stadium believed Judge had gone deep, but the umpires didn’t see it that way. After the game, Judge spoke about the home run that wasn’t.
New York Yankees Outfielder Aaron Judge Talks About Robbed HR
Judge believed he had another homer in the eighth inning against the Rays, but it didn’t count. Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported, “Judge thought his blast to left field off Eric Orze was a home run, as did third-base coach Luis Rojas.”
The drive was initially ruled foul by third-base umpire Scott Barry. A crew chief review later ruled the call “stood” rather than “confirmed,” meaning the evidence wasn’t strong enough to overturn it.
Had it been overturned, it would’ve been Judge’s eighth home run of the season. The Yankees still went on to win 4-0, improving to 14-8 on the year. After the game, Judge shared his thoughts with reporters:
“It was a fair ball. But that’s why we’ve got replay. It’s not on the umpires; it’s tough when you’re in a situation like this in a Minor League park where the foul poles aren’t as high, so that’s why you have replay.
“They have every angle … I think everybody is kind of scratching their head, but [there’s] nothing I can do about it. They missed it, and I’ve just got to move on.”
TV replays seemed to suggest the ball was fair, but the call stood. Hoch also noted in his column that Judge raised a fair point about the foul poles. Steinbrenner Field’s poles are 30 feet tall — the minimum for a Major League ballpark — while Yankee Stadium’s foul poles stand at 90 feet.
Boone, clearly frustrated, was tossed from the game after arguing. Judge struck out on the next pitch. Boone later delayed his postgame media session to rewatch the footage before telling reporters:
“It’s a home run. It didn’t go our way, though. … I get it’s high and towering, but then it goes to replay. I guess they couldn’t find enough that was conclusive. So we’ve got to live with the call.”