Oh baby, what a catch! Fan holds son, snags ball
CHICAGO -- The Dodgers won a most unique challenge in the bottom of the second inning of Tuesday night's 1-0, 10-inning Cubs win.
• Cast your Esurance All-Star ballot for #ASGWorthy players
As first baseman Adrian Gonzalez reached over the tarp for Cubs pitcher Jason Hammel's foul popup, fan Keith Hartley, with baby Isaac cradled in his left arm, reached over the short brick wall with his right hand and barehanded the ball. The fan dropped neither the baby (who was sucking on a bottle) nor the ball.
Video: LAD@CHC: Fan on catching foul while holding his child
First-base umpire and crew chief Jerry Meals originally ruled the play a foul ball out of play, but Dodgers manager Don Mattingly challenged the call and it was overturned by a replay official for the third out of the inning on fan interference.
"It would have been more impressive if the baby would have caught it," said Gonzalez.
• Cubs fan tries to steal foul pop from Adrian Gonzalez
Mattingly said he was sure the fan reached over the concrete into the playing field because of his sightline from where he was in the dugout, but said he didn't notice the man was holding a baby until he saw the replay on the new Wrigley Field big screen.
"I thought it was a good play," Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke said of Hartley's catch. "I thought Adrian had caught it. And I thought they would change the call."
"That was outstanding," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hartley. "You worry about the baby, of course, but it looked like he had it under control. It looked like he did it before, almost. That was a great play."