Astros’ A.J. Hinch says fan interference call not the difference in ALCS Game 4 loss to Red Sox

The Astros are trailing the Red Sox three games to one in their
best-of-seven AL Championship Series after an 8-6 loss in Game 4 on
Wednesday night. Many of their fans are likely blaming a
controversial first-inning call by right field umpire Joe West that
denied Jose Altuve a potential game-tying two-run home run.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch isn’t buying it.

MORE:
Astros fan called for interference says he didn’t do anything
wrong

“It’s convenient to think about it that way but there’s a lot of
game left,” Hinch said. “There’s a lot of action in that game. No,
I’m not going to go there, but it would have been nice to tie the
game at that point. That’s not the difference. That’s not how the
game plays.”

Altuve hit a fly ball to right field that appeared to clear the
fence, but West ruled a fan interfered with Red Sox right fielder
Mookie Betts. Altuve was called out. West’s call stood after a
replay review.

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“[West] just said there was fan interference on the field and my
argument was the trajectory was there, the ball was leaving the
yard,” Hinch said in an in-game interview with TBS. “Jose [Altuve]
paid the ultimate price for something out of his control.”

Many questioned whether spectators reached over the fence to
prevent Betts from making the catch; they thought instead that
Betts reached into the stands. If Betts’ glove was over the fence,
then fan interference should not have been called.

pic.twitter.com/ZYTLgJt2d7

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich)
October 18, 2018

Here’s Troy Caldwell. He was the fan who was
ruled to have interfered with the Astros potential home run ball.
“I’m going to need security to escort me out of here if the Astros
don’t come back to win this.” pic.twitter.com/IXE2uEzSoW

— Matt Young (@Chron_MattYoung)
October 18, 2018

West stood by his call after the game.

West: “Here’s the whole play. They hit the
ball to right field, he (Betts) jumped up to try to make a catch, a
fan interfered with him over the playing field. That is why I
called spectator interference.”

— Brian T. Smith (@ChronBrianSmith)
October 18, 2018

A transcript of West’s interview with a pool reporter:

Here’s what Joe West had to say about the
Betts/Altuve play to the pool reporter after Game 4: pic.twitter.com/RwaaIbZ0id

— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner)
October 18, 2018

Sporting News’ Tom Gatto contributed to this report, which
has been updated with Hinch’s comments.