Fans who interfered with Betts banned from attending Game 5

The New York Yankees announced on Wednesday that two fans who interfered with Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts during Game 4 have been banned from attending Game 5. This decision comes as part of MLB and the Yankees' strict "zero-tolerance policy" regarding such behavior, which they labeled as "egregious and unacceptable physical contact."

The fans, who had tickets for the upcoming game, will be refunded, as reported by ESPN's Jesse Rogers. In a gesture of goodwill, the Yankees have donated the banned fans' tickets to a pediatric cancer patient and their family, according to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch.

Following the incident, one of the fans, Austin Capobianco, expressed that he and his friends had previously joked about such situations. "We always joke about the ball in our area... If it's in our area, we're going to 'D' up," he told Rogers after Game 4. However, Capobianco later acknowledged that he crossed a line, stating, "I'm a way too passionate fan that probably crossed the line last night," in a text message to Noah Goldberg of the Los Angeles Times. He also commended Betts, describing his play as "impressive" and denied using racial slurs during the incident.

The interference occurred in the first inning of Game 4, when Betts made a catch at the wall in foul territory, only to have fans pull the ball from his glove. The umpire ruled it a successful catch, awarding the Dodgers an out. The offending fans were subsequently escorted out of Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees secured an 11-4 victory, keeping their season alive. Betts later downplayed the incident, calling it "irrelevant" and focusing on the Dodgers' loss as they prepared for Game 5.

Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo remarked that the incident was "one of the more extreme" examples of fan interference but attributed it to the nature of New York fans. Manager Aaron Boone took a firmer stance, stating, "There's no place for that. Simple as that," during a pregame press conference. "Come here, cheer, root for your team... but no place for that. Should never have hands on anyone. (It's) just not OK."

Jack Flaherty is scheduled to pitch against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole as the teams prepare for Game 5, with first pitch set for 8:08 p.m. ET.