At first, it appeared to be a jaw-dropping catch. But mouths opened even wider in disbelief at what turned out to be a catch that wasn't made and a question that wasn't asked.

New York Yankees left fielder Dewayne Wise clearly dropped the ball he leapt into the left-field stands trying to catch in the seventh inning of the Yankees' 6-4 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. He admitted as much later.

Even Wise acknowledged doing a double-take when third-base umpire Mike DiMuro pumped his fist to signal the last out of the seventh inning, stranding a runner at third with the Yankees up 4-0. Wise had attempted to catch the ball hit by Indians third basemanJack Hannahan, but it popped out of Wise's glove and into the stands in foul territory.

When DiMuro signaled out, without even asking to see the ball, Wise said he kept his glove closed and ran off the field before the ump could change his mind.

"Normally when a guy makes a play like that, that's the first thing they say, to show him the ball," Wise said. "But I guess he was confident that I had made the catch. It was a tough angle for him, but truthfully, the ball popped out. He saw what he saw, you know?

"... He made the call really quickly so I just told myself to try to get up and keep myself together and run off the field."

The play will surely gain attention and revive debate on the need for instant replay.

Read More: Yahoo Sports