Orioles' Alonso has go-ahead home run ruled foul by review in 5-3 loss to Yankees

Matt Weyrich, Baltimore Sun on Aug 19, 2026

Published in Baseball

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BALTIMORE — Pete Alonso held onto his bat as he shuffled down the first base line, watching a fly ball off his bat sail deep down the left field line. He then saw it land and chucked the lumber in celebration as the Orioles’ dugout behind him erupted. It was a go-ahead home run to put Baltimore in front over the New York Yankees in the seventh inning.

Except it wasn’t. Third base umpire Will Little ruled the ball was foul. The play then went to replay review, and MLB’s Replay Command Center in New York didn’t find sufficient enough evidence to overturn the call.

“After viewing all relevant angles, the Replay Official could not definitively determine that the ball left the playing field in fair territory. The call stands, and it is a foul ball,” MLB’s Replay Command Center said in a statement.

The ball traveled over the foul pole and landed on the walkway behind the first section of seats in the left-field corner. Alonso was in disbelief over the initial call, grabbing his helmet and exclaiming, “No way!” after it was made.

MLB doesn’t use ball-tracking technology to issue rulings on fair or foul calls. The ruling is up to the judgment call of the umpire, and reviews are subject to the discretion of the officials reviewing camera angles at the Replay Command Center.

The call loomed large as the Yankees would go on to score two runs in the eighth and win the game, 5-3. An infield single by shortstop George Lombard Jr. off Cam Sanders with the bases loaded was the decisive blow, and Yennier Cano allowed another run to cross on a wild pitch to hand Baltimore (61-66) its third straight loss.

New York led for most of the evening, scoring a pair of first-inning runs off Orioles starter Chris Bassitt and extending its lead to 3-1 in the third on a solo home run by Ben Rice. The Yankees designated hitter went 431 feet to right-center field with a blast that landed on the PureWager Pavilion behind the seating bowl.

Bassitt struggled to limit contact early, but he settled in after the third and finished an out short of a quality start. The right-hander has allowed seven runs over 10 2/3 innings (5.91 ERA) in two starts since returning from back surgery that sidelined him for over nine weeks.

The Orioles scored their first run on a well-executed double steal in the first inning. Gunnar Henderson drew the throw from catcher Austin Wells and slid in safely while Jackson Holliday, following a slight hesitation, took off for home and scored easily.

Alonso then trimmed the Yankees’ lead to one with a solo shot in the third for his 29th long ball of the season, and Dylan Beavers went to the opposite field off right-hander Fernando Cruz for a game-tying homer in the sixth. It was the first time in Beavers’ MLB career that the young outfielder homered anywhere but the pull side.

That home run appeared to set the stage for Alonso’s go-ahead knock, but the call didn’t go their way, and the game result followed suit.