Trevor Story’s Bizarre Home Run at Fenway Park

Trevor Story of the Boston Red Sox hit a strange home run in Monday’s game against the Cleveland Guardians when his fly ball caromed off the right fielder’s glove and then the Pesky Pole, resulting in a homer after video review. This unusual play contributed to Boston’s 6-4 win. In the bottom of the sixth inning at Fenway Park, Story sent a fly ball down the right-field line with an exit velocity of 94.5 mph. Cleveland right fielder Jhonkensy Noel attempted a leaping catch at the short wall, but the ball ticked off his glove, struck the foul pole, and fell to the ground. Umpires initially ruled it a foul ball, leading to confusion on the field. The Red Sox challenged the call, and after a video review, crew chief Jordan Baker announced that the call was overturned to a home run. The ruling was based on the ball hitting the pole after contact with the glove, making it a legitimate homer under MLB rules. Story, who had stopped at second base, was awarded the run, giving Boston a 6-3 lead. Statcast data showed the home run traveled only 306 feet, making it the second-shortest out-of-the-park homer since tracking began in 2015, behind only a 302-foot shot by Lorenzo Cain in 2017, also at Fenway. This highlights the unique dimensions of the ballpark, where the Pesky Pole in right field is just 302 feet from home plate. Story expressed amusement after the game, noting it was his first homer off the Pesky Pole and describing the sequence as “crazy.” He initially thought it might be a ground-rule double but was relieved when the review confirmed the home run. Noel, the Guardians outfielder, was frustrated, believing it shouldn’t have been ruled a homer and suggesting a double would have been more appropriate. The bizarre play occurred during a Labor Day matinee and helped the Red Sox secure their ninth win in 12 games, improving their record to 35-18 since July 1, the best in the American League. Carlos Narvaez also contributed with a key pinch-hit, two-run single earlier in the game. Fenway Park’s peculiar features, like the low wall and tight angles in right field, often lead to unusual plays, and this incident adds to its lore. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, who himself hit a similar short homer in 2019, sympathized with Noel, acknowledging the challenge of playing the wall. The victory kept Boston within 2.5 games of the first-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East, adding significance to the win. The game was marked by this memorable moment, which will likely be replayed and discussed among baseball fans for its rarity and the controversy it sparked.