CINCINNATI — A fan was hit with a Taser and arrested Tuesday night after running onto the field and doing a backflip during the Cleveland Guardians-Cincinnati Reds game.
Video across social media shows the fan, identified as 19-year-old William Hendon, running into the outfield at Great American Ball Park, talking to a Guardians player and doing a backflip. Hendon started running from an officer, who then used a Taser on him.
According to WCPO in Cincinnati, Hendon was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center and made his first court appearance Wednesday morning. He is charged with criminal trespassing and obstructing official business.
Hendon pleaded not guilty in court. He was released on an own recognizance bond and he is banned from the stadium for the timing being, WCPO says.
As for the actual game, Cleveland's Josh Naylor hit his 17th homer of the season, leading the Guardians to a 5-3 over the Reds.
Steven Kwan hit a two-run double for AL Central-leading Cleveland, which earned its third consecutive win. Triston McKenzie (3-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, and Emmanuel Clase worked a shaky ninth for his 20th save.
The Guardians went ahead to stay with three runs in the third against Nick Martinez (2-4). Kwan hit a two-run double and scored on Naylor's single.
The Reds had jumped in front on Jeimer Candelario's RBI double in the first. But they lost out on a chance for more because of back-to-back spectacular catches by Freeman in center.
First, Freeman ran down Spencer Steer's flyball against the wall in deep center. Then he made a leaping grab to rob Jake Fraley of a homer, ending the threat.
“Any time you rob a homer, it’s sick,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "Those were huge plays there. It could have gone a lot different if he didn’t make those plays there. He keeps getting better and better.”
Cincinnati trimmed Cleveland's lead to 3-2 when Elly De La Cruz walked, advanced on a groundout and scored on Steer's single in the sixth.
But Naylor responded with a 425-foot drive to right against Fernando Cruz in the eighth, and then drove in another run with a bases-loaded fielder's choice in the ninth.
Clase allowed a two-out RBI single by Jonathan India and cracked Blake Dunn's helmet with a 101-mph cutter before retiring TJ Friedl on a liner to shortstop, ending the game.
Lacking a fifth starter, Cincinnati manager David Bell used seven pitchers out of his bullpen. Brent Suter tossed a scoreless first inning as the opener.
“It’s kind of the way we had the game set up," Bell said. “Everyone did their job. We came up short but pretty good effort right there by everyone out of the bullpen.”
Kwan said the Guardians' video technology staff accurately prepared the hitters for the Cincinnati pitchers they were likely to see.
“Nothing was out of the ordinary," he said. "If we don’t have those guys (on the staff), it could feel like a free-for-all.”
