SAN DIEGO -- Never before has a fan spilling his beer been greeted so kindly at Petco Park.
Eric Hosmer hit his 12th home run in the fifth inning of the Padres' 9-4 loss to the D-backs on Friday night. It was an opposite-field blast, perhaps aided by a fan in a Padres jersey -- and his beer.
Hosmer smashed a 2-0 fastball from D-backs starter Robbie Ray deep to left. Arizona outfielder Jonathan Jay retreated to the wall, where he reached and attempted to make a catch. That's when he made contact with the fan's full cup, sending most of the beverage splattering onto the warning track.
"I felt I got it good enough to possibly leave," said Hosmer. "I just kept seeing him go back. Once Jon jumped and landed and waved his arms up, I realized he didn't catch it. From that point, it was just a waiting game."
The ball landed in the front row, and Jay contested that he'd been interfered with. Arizona manager Torey Lovullo asked for a review.
"I thought I had a bead on it, and I thought he moved my hand when it was right there to make the catch," Jay said. "It's out of my control. But the good thing is we won the game."
Jay might very well have made the catch, if not for the fan. But Rule 6.01(e) states:
"No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator's interference."
Ultimately, the replay crew couldn't determine decisively that the fan had reached into the field of play. The call stood. Hosmer reacted with a shimmy from the dugout bench.
"I was messing around, telling the boys I was going to go George Brett on him, if they overturned it," Hosmer said.

Three innings later, Manuel Margot also hit a deep drive to left field, and the same rule came into play. Jay leapt at the wall and had another chance for a spectacular catch. But yet another fan -- this one without a beer -- made his presence felt.
In the second instance, it was a bit more obvious that the spectator did not reach over into the field of play. (He made an impressive barehanded grab, in fact.) But Jay was adamant that he would've caught the ball.

"As an outfielder, you want to rob home runs," Jay said. "That's something you dream of as a kid and all that and when those opportunities come, you want to try and capitalize on them. At least they weren't the deciding factors in the game and we were able to come up with the big hits."
It was nearly déjà vu for Hosmer, who is 11-for-31 (.355) with a pair of homers on the Padres' homestand. He had a potential game-winning blast robbed on Monday night by Angels left fielder Justin Upton. From the home dugout, Hosmer watched the replay and wasn't certain of the result until the umpire's signal.
"It was definitely a sigh of relief," Hosmer said. "I've felt a little better the last couple days. Hopefully, it can start translating to driving in some more runs and helping this team win."