Fan falls into visiting bullpen during Royals-White Sox game

CHICAGO (AP) — A fan fell into the visiting bullpen at Rate Field on Wednesday night, causing a delay during the Royals-White Sox game.

The White Sox said the fan was taken to a hospital for treatment.

“Did we do the right thing continuing to play?” Kansas City first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino said after the Royals’ 6-5 loss. “I don’t know. It’s just a weird, that’s a bigger question than anything, because I mean obviously the importance is fan safety and making sure everybody’s OK. ... So again, just thoughts to that guy. Hopefully he’s OK.”

Kansas City had runners on first and second with none out in the fourth inning when the game was briefly delayed while workers attend to the fallen fan. It looked as if stadium workers used a stretcher to transport the fan out of the bullpen area beyond the wall in right field.

“From what I've heard, the fan was kind of standing up on the edge of the bullpen and kind of just went over and then saw him lying there,” Royals reliever Nick Mears said.

Kansas City's relievers moved into a far corner of the bullpen after the fan fell.

“Baseball's just a game when it comes to that stuff in my mind,” Mears said. “Obviously human lives are something different. Kind of just creating space for all of the people to come in and try to help him out. Just trying to make sure that he had the best care that he could get in that moment was kind of our priority.”

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