Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Christopher Morel was inches away from making a spectacular catch at the wall to deny the Los Angeles Angels a pair of runs, but he missed out after the ball was snagged by notorious ballhawk Zack Hample.
Hample could be seen reaching at the wall and grabbing the ball out of midair, effectively awarding a home run to Angels infielder Kyren Paris. The Rays attempted to challenge the ruling for fan interference, indicating they believed Hample reached into the field of play in order to catch the ball, but officials determined that the home run would stand.
Have a look:
This guy Zack Hample just potentially stole a ball from Christopher Morel… unbelievable pic.twitter.com/rLOoTai22Z
— Jake (@TBRaysCentral) April 8, 2025
Morel was tracking the ball and leapt up to make what would've been a web-gem catch, but Hample had his glove out and ready, and caught the ball before Morel could make a play on it.
The Rays challenge for fan interference, but the call stands pic.twitter.com/pWHJdsllIg
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 8, 2025
The two runs that came across on the homer were the first two earned runs surrendered by Rays starter Shane Baz this season. They also represened the only runs in the game through the first six innings.
Hample, who rose to notoriety from his endeavors as a baseball collector, has a proclivity for being in the right spot to have a chance to grab home run balls. This time, his positioning along the outfield wall at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa may have cost the Rays a pair of runs.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rays Challenge HR Call for Fan Interference After Zack Hample Caught Ball at the Wall.
