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A new rivalry has brewed this year between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. Both teams have been at each other's throats of late and Friday's bench-clearing incident was a testament to the same.
Emotions ran high at Camden Yards after Heston Kjerstad was hit on the helmet by Yankees closer Clay Holmes in the ninth inning. The 96.8-mph sinker didn't do significant damage but it was enough to rile up Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, who took aim at Holmes.
Kjerstad was eventually taken out of the game, while Hyde came back on the field and pointed towards the Yankees dugout. Things escalated quickly, despite Yanks catcher Austin Wells trying to stop him, and the benches soon cleared.
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Fans on the internet had a field day, with many criticizing Holmes.
"Absolutely disgusting from Holmes," one fan wrote.
"For a manger to do this is a joke. The baseball world is laughing," another added.
Other fans were quick to take sides following the incident:
"Yankees own those frauds from Baltimore," one posted.
"Yankees have no class," another commented.
One found the situation ironic given that the Orioles have drilled the Yankees hitters in the past.
"LOL Orioles getting mad at the Yankees for not intentionally hitting their player. Ironic," one posted.
"I don’t understand why Hyde got upset. Holmes was trying to be respectful to see if he was okay," one wrote.
Aftermath of Yankees-Orioles bench-clearing incident
After the incident, Brandon Hyde was tossed out of the game. Kjerstad, who was hit on the helmet, was replaced by pinch runner Austin Hays. At the time, the Orioles were trailing 4-1.
The win improved the Yankees' record to 57-39, while the loss dropped the Orioles to 57-37. They meet again on Saturday and Sunday to conclude the three-game set. If the Yankees sweep them, they will regain the AL East division lead.
