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MLB: Fan at Yankee Stadium ejected for yelling pitch location

New York Yankees' Aaron Hicks (31) is met by teammates Starlin Castro (14) and Todd Frazier (29) after the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday.
(Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)
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fan sitting behind home plate has been ejected from Yankee Stadium for shouting the location of pitches during New York’s 6-1 win over Tampa Bay.

Yankees slugger Gary Sanchez was batting with a full count against Austin Pruitt in the eighth inning Tuesday night when plate umpire Dan Bellino walked to the backstop and spoke to a member of the team’s security staff, directing that the fan be removed. Bellino then walked toward second base and conferred with crew chief Jerry Layne.

Play resumed after a break of about 90 seconds. Sanchez fouled off a pitch, then hit a bloop RBI single.

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Sanchez and Rays catcher Wilson Ramos said the fan had been yelling in Spanish: “Outside! Outside!”

Ramos said the spectator’s shouts were accurate.

“That was not professional. If you come to the game, you’re asked to enjoy the game,” he said. “Everybody’s supposed to see the ball and just react with pitches so to me, it’s like cheating.”

Both managers praised the ejection.

“Rightfully so. That shouldn’t happen,” the Yankees’ Joe Girardi said.

Said Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash: “The Yankees handled it really well and got him out of there.”

Giolito is done for the season

Right-hander Lucas Giolito won’t pitch again for the Chicago White Sox this season after reach-ing an innings limit, the team announced Tuesday.

Giolito (3-3), from Harvard-Westlake High, had elbow ligament replacement surgery two months after being drafted by Washington in the first round in 2012.

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Etc.

Minnesota is close to becoming the first team to lose 100 games and reach the playoffs the next season. ... Its win Tuesday means Philadelphia will not lose 100 games, which the club hasn’t done since 1961.

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