The Yankees and Orioles reignited their old AL East rivalry on Friday night in a heated game that saw benches clear in the bottom of the ninth inning. Yankees closer Clay Holmes hit Orioles player Heston Kjerstad in the head with a pitch, sparking a confrontation between the two teams.
Despite no punches being thrown and no ejections, tensions were high as both teams exchanged words and engaged in some pushing and shoving near home plate. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde was particularly incensed and had to be held back by his players.
The incident was the culmination of a season-long tension between the two teams, with the Yankees hitting Orioles batters 10 times compared to the Orioles hitting Yankees batters only three times. The Yankees managed to hold on to a 4-1 win, cutting their deficit in the division race to just two games.
The division race looks to be between the Yankees and Orioles for the rest of the season, promising more intense matchups like the one on Friday night. Both teams will face off again on Saturday, with fans eagerly anticipating the continuation of this heated rivalry.
