Yankees fans hurl trash at Guardians players

Unruly home fans at Yankee Stadium hurled trash at visiting Cleveland Guardians players during a Yankee comeback victory on Saturday afternoon. Some fans in Yankee Stadium’s notoriously rowdy right field bleachers hurled trash at visiting Cleveland Guardians players in a chaotic scene on Saturday, just moments after New York won 6-5.

Oscar Mercado #35 of the Cleveland Guardians is restrained as fans throw debris on the field following Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees walk off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2022 in New York City.
( Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Rather than celebrating after Isiah Kiner-Falefa and pinch-hitter Gleyber Torres got RBI hits with two outs in the ninth, stars Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and other New York players rushed toward the wall in right-center field, trying to calm the crowd.

Security personnel joined the effort to quell the disturbance.

APRIL 23: Oscar Mercado #35 of the Cleveland Guardians is restrained as fans throw debris on the field following Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees walk off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning at Yankee Stadium on April 23, 2022 in New York City.
( Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

“You certainly don’t want to put anyone in danger. Aaron Boone, Yankees manager, said that while he loves the intensity of the game, he cannot allow his players to throw stuff on the field.

Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase was one strike away from preserving a 5-4 lead when Kiner-Falefa hit a 100 mph fastball for a tying double. Steven Kwan, a rookie left fielder, ran into the wall after the ball. A trainer went out to check him.

“Kwan looked a bit shaken and had some cuts to his face. There was also a Yankee fan celebrating Kwan being hurt,” Mercado stated. “It almost feels like it’s acts violence. It’s not right to say such things, especially when someone is hurt. “

Members of the Cleveland Guardians react after fans throw debris on the field following Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees walk off RBI single in the bottom of the ninth inning, April 23, 2022 in New York, New York.
(Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

“I just let him know, ‘Listen, man, you can chirp all you want but don’t celebrate someone getting hurt.’ That’s classless and that shouldn’t be a thing,” he said. You can root for your team as much as you like, I’m not denigrating that. It’s great for the game to have die-hard fans. But it’s important to do it right. “

Before play was resumed, Mercado pointed to the stands. Myles Straw, center fielder, climbed the chain link fence in left to confront at least one fan. A second fan made a derogatory gesture.

“I believe Myles was standing up for his teammate,” Cleveland Francona stated. “The kid is out there bleeding and we are checking him for concussion. I think emotions got a little outof control. “

Torres then lined a single to the right-center for game-winner. Several fans started throwing objects at Straw and Mercado as they chased the ball into the gap.

“One was very close to my face, and I caught it. It was a beer can,” Mercado stated.

” They should be held responsible and I believe there should be rules for that because that’s absurd and that shouldn’t happen,” he said. “Say what you want and do whatever you like, but there must be consequences for such behavior. “

Associated Press contributed to this report