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Yankees fans talked about patrolling the wall before taking the ball out of Mookie Betts' glove

The two Yankees fans who were ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after picking a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts said they had a plan in place and were ready to put it into action.

Austin Capobianco and his friend John Peter grabbed Betts' glove and pulled the ball out as the Dodgers star jumped the wall and caught Gleyber Torres' foul ball at first in the first inning at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.

“We always joke about the ball in our area,” Capobianco, 38, a Yankees season ticket holder, told ESPN at a local bar after the game. “We won’t bother attacking. If it's in our area, we'll ramp up “D.”


Two Yankees fans ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after prying a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts. AP

“Someone defends, someone hits the ball. We talk about it. We are ready for this.”

Torres was ejected by the right field umpire for fan interference.

Capobianco and Peter were escorted from Yankee Stadium – but said they were informed they would be allowed to return for Game 5 in the Bronx on Wednesday.

“I know when I'm in the wrong, and as soon as I did, I was like, 'Guys, I'm out of here,'” Capobianco said. “I patrol the wall and they know it.”

In the wild scene caught on camera, one of the fans could be seen grabbing Betts' wrist as he reached for the ball.

Darren Capobianco, Austin's brother, told The Athletic that Betts was “calling us names.”


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The eight-time MLB All-Star was visibly weakened at the moment, but cooled off after the Dodgers' 11-4 loss.

“When it comes to the person in the game, it doesn't matter,” Betts said after the Dodgers failed to beat the Yankees. “We lost. It's irrelevant. I'm doing well. He's fine. Everything's cool. We lost the game and that’s kind of what I’m focused on. We need to turn the page and prepare for tomorrow.”


Two Yankees fans ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after prying a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts.
Two Yankees fans ejected from Game 4 of the World Series after prying a foul ball out of the glove of Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts. AP

At that point, the Dodgers had a two-run lead following a two-run home run by Freddie Freeman.

Freeman became the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in six consecutive World Series games.

“I’ve never seen anything like that,” Dodgers rookie pitcher Ben Casparius said of the fan interference, “kind of set the tone.”

It came after a separate fan incident in Game 1 at Dodger Stadium when Torres hit a fly ball to left field and a fan reached over the wall and caught the ball.

The referee assessed Torres a double strike.

Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday in the Bronx.