KANSAS CITY -- When is a ball that goes over the fence without landing anywhere on the field not a home run? When it takes a crazy spin off the top of the wall that carries it out.
The weird play happened in the second inning of the Pirates-Royals game on Tuesday night. Starling Marte led off the inning with a smash into the left-field corner that caromed off the curving wall -- and over the adjoining bullpen fence at Kauffman Stadium.
Third-base umpire Phil Cuzzi spread his hands to indicate "ball in play" when the ball ricocheted off the wall -- and quickly changed to twirling his right hand to indicate home run when the ball bounced out.