Deal Says Fox Has to Switch

Fox preempted the final two innings of the New York Yankees’ 6-5, 11-inning victory over the Minnesota Twins in Los Angeles and St. Louis on Saturday in order to show the beginning of the Dodger-Cardinal game.

Fox’s contract with Major League Baseball requires it to show playoff games in their entirety in the markets of the participating teams.

“Even if it wasn’t in the contract, it was the right thing to do,” Fox Sports chairman David Hill said. “Can you imagine the furor in L.A. had the Yankees and Twins played 15 innings and we stayed with that game instead of showing the Dodgers?”

Fox cut away from the American League game with two out in the ninth inning when the score was tied to go to the pregame show for the National League game. The network went to a split screen, or what it calls a “double box,” to show the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez score the go-ahead run in the top of the 11th and then the final out in the bottom of the inning.

Also, announcers Thom Brennaman and Tim McCarver provided updates from the game in Minneapolis.

Fox spokesman Dan Bell said the network did not have the option of switching the Yankees and Twins to Fox cable channel FX in only two markets.