Yankees get burnt by Jeffrey Maier sequel on robbed Game 3 Anthony Volpe HR vs. Rays

Anthony Volpe, the mysterious final starter in Aaron Boone's Game 3 plan, was brought into the lineup on a hunch, exiling Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the bench. Over the course of Wednesday's contest, Volpe justified that faith tenfold, sprinting around the bases on Spencer Jones' double to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, then launching the most controversial near-homer this franchise has seen in 30 years.

George Lombard Jr. may be the shortstop wearing No. 96, but Volpe harkened back to '96 with a much cleaner parallel on Wednesday night.

Back in the day, a young Derek Jeter lofted a long fly ball to right field in Game 1 of the 1996 ALCS that helped decide the game, and the series, against the Baltimore Orioles. A young fan named Jeffrey Maier quite plainly popped over the Wiz sign on the wall and snapped a catchable ball from Orioles right fielder Tony Tarasco, who was left apoplectic. With a more comprehensive replay system, it never would've stood.

Anthony Volpe loses home run, gains controversial moment in Yankees' Game 3 vs. Rays

You wanted Jeter parallels? You got Jeter parallels!

In this year's potential season finale for the Yankees, Volpe cracked a two-out long fly ball to left field, rousing the stadium out of its doldrums out of nowhere in the bottom of the sixth. After Victor Mesa Jr. darted back on it and reached the wall, the ball disappeared. What happened? Where did the ball go? No one knew.

Well ... one guy knew. The guy who stuck his hands in the field of play to touch an uncatchable ball this time. Without the obvious spectator interference, detected on replay, the ball probably would've slammed against the wall and scored Lombard Jr. from first. It might've gone out - but we'll never know, and the fan contact was so egregious it couldn't rightly have stood as a dinger.

The umpiring crew determined that Lombard Jr. would've scored - correctly so - and generously provided the Yankees with a run for their troubles. It seems that, as tough as it is to overturn these kinds of things in most typical games. the umpires properly interpreted the situation and split the difference.

If this had stood as a bomb, the Yankees would have been KILLED for it. You simply cannot have a Maier Moment in the age of social media.

Now, all that's left is to determine whether the Yankees will pick up the energy after briefly tying the game and watching things get erased from the ledge, or whether they'll fall further like they did after Gleyber Torres' disallowed home run late in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow