The ball bounced off the top of the fence and back onto the field as first base umpire Tom Hallion signaled home run. Catcher Kelly Shoppach argued, as did manager Eric Wedge. The umpires huddled, and crew chief Jerry Crawford left the field to call MLB headquarters in New York so he could review the play.

After several minutes, Crawford came back on the field, talked with both managers and signaled home run.

The crowd of more than 43,000 cheered.

"They said the ball hit the fan first beyond the fence," Wedge said. "I thought Trevor got up and touched it on top of the wall, and that's where the fan's hand was. The worst-case scenario there for us is that it's a double."

Crowe entered the game in the top of the seventh as a pinch runner for Ryan Garko when the Indians loaded the bases but failed to score.

"If no one is out there, I catch the ball," Crowe said. "My glove was over the wall and above it and under the fan that was there."

Crawford would not comment on the play when approached by a pool reporter after the game.

MLB introduced the use of replay for boundary-call homers in September.

The Yankees put the game away with a three-run double in the eighth by Cody Ransom that Shin-Soo Choo lost in the sun. The ball was hit down the left-field line, but Choo pulled up well short of where the ball landed.

The disputed homer and bullpen collapse ruined a fine start by Carl Pavano. In his return to New York where he spent the past four years coming back from injuries and getting booed, Pavano allowed one run in six innings. He struck out four and walked one on four hits.

"He pitched a fantastic game against a good hitting lineup," Wedge said.

On Pavano's 89th and final pitch, he froze Nick Swisher with a change-up to end the sixth with the bases loaded. Wedge handed the 3-1 lead to the bullpen, and they dismantled it in a hurry.

Rafael Perez started the seventh to face lefties Robinson Cano and Hideki Matsui. Cano doubled and Matsui singled to make it 3-2. That's not the way it's supposed to work.

"We might have to take two steps back to take one step forward," Wedge said, referring to Perez. "We're going to talk about it."

Jensen Lewis relieved, and Ransom bunted back to the mound. Lewis threw to second for the force before facing Posada. The Yankees catcher caught just enough of Lewis' 1-1 pitch to put it over the fence.

"In any other park, that's an out," Lewis said.

The two teams combined for 20 homers in the first four games played at new Yankee Stadium. The Indians , who scored 10 runs in the series opener and 22 Saturday, outscored the Yankees, 40-19, but had to settle for a split.

Lewis gave up the game-winning homer to Derek Jeter in a 6-5 loss Friday. It was the same kind of homer, a high fly to right field.

"I feel bad for Carl," Lewis said. "He pitched great and we blew it."

Garko, starting his first game in right field, hit a two-run homer in the fourth off A.J. Burnett for a 3-0 lead. The Yankees made it 3-1 on Mark Teixeira's two-out single in the bottom of the inning.

Choo gave Pavano a 1-0 lead with a leadoff homer in the second.

"This wasn't about the critics," Pavano said. "We lost as a team today. This wasn't about me; it was about the Indians . I'll stick with me.

"This was an important game for us. We played good Baseball for the first three games of this season, taking two out of three.

"I was looking to close this out, but we couldn't get it done."

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: phoynes@plaind.com, 216-999-5158

BOX:

Indians vs. Royals

Tuesday, 7:05 p.m., Progressive Field, SportsTime Ohio.

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Get more photos from the Indians' four-game series at new Yankee Stadium.