Friday night's game between the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox was halted for approximately 10 minutes in the top of the first inning when a fan fell into the visitor's bullpen at Citizens Bank Park. The fan, a young adult male, was taken away on a stretcher and carted away from the field of play.
"The fan was transported to Jefferson Hospital for treatment and was conscious and responsive upon leaving the ballpark," the Phillies said in an update. The fan was awake and alert as he was carted off the field, albeit with bruising on his face.
According to the NBC Sports Philadelphia broadcast, the fan reached over the railing for a baseball in the flower bed above the bullpens, lost his balance and fell into the Red Sox bullpen. Ashburn Alley, the area above the bullpens named for Hall of Famer Richie Ashburn, has been a popular standing-room section since Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004.
The incident occurred while Zack Wheeler faced Masataka Yoshida, the second batter of the game. Phillies reliever José Alvarado ran out of the bullpen and into the outfield to alert medical personnel. The visitor's bullpen is on the upper level of the two-tier bullpen at Citizens Bank Park.
Friday's game was the first game of a five-game homestand for the Phillies. There was a sold out crowd for Bryce Harper's first home game of the season following his speedy recovery from Tommy John surgery.
