The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees concluded their three-game series on Sunday, with both teams already having a win apiece. The Rays are looking to close the gap on the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Yankees are heading in the opposite direction, heading further and further out of a playoff spot.
On Sunday, tempers flared, and it centered around Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena and Yankees pitcher Albert Abreu.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Arozarena was hit in the side on a pitch thrown by Abreu. The outfielder was not happy about it as he nearly spiked his bat onto the field and attempted to approach Abreu. Arozarena was the fourth batter to get hit by a Yankees pitcher in that game alone. There was a scary incident in the fifth inning, in which Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes was hit in the head by a pitch thrown by Ian Hamilton.
Eventually, both benches cleared with Abreu and Aronzarena being separated. Yandy Diaz, who was hit in the forearm during Friday's game and hasn't played since had to be restrained.
Yankees, Rays benches clear after Randy Arozarena was hit by pitch
If you thought things cooled down after that, you are mistaken.
After the game continued, Arozarena stole second and third base after reaching first on the hit-by pitch. Once he was ruled safe at third, he appeared to say something to Abreu. Both benches and bullpens noticed this, and they ran onto the field to ensure there wouldn't be a brawl.
After the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said that he understood that there was frustration, but said his pitchers weren't throwing at batters intentionally. Four batters were hit on Sunday, six total in the three-game series, and 12 times this season. Yankees batters? Only hit twice this season by Rays pitchers.
Rays manager Kevin Cash said that he applauds Arozarena for keeping his emotions "just enough in check to where it didn't get out of hand," and said that his players don't like to get hit.
Abreu was asked by reporters what he was saying to Arozarena during their benches-clearing incidents. Abreu said that he wasn't trying to hit Arozarena on purpose, but the Rays outfielder brought up that he hit him during a game back in May.
"I couldn't really understand what he was saying there when he got to third base, but I can see that he's still agitated," said Abreu, via Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News. "He's taking it very personal and I'm trying to explain, 'I'm not trying to hit you there.' It felt like he was trying to make fun of the situation or the fact that he stole two bases, I don't know. Just heat of the moment there."
Hamilton also said during the postgame that he wasn't trying to hit anyone in particular, and said that he was sorry for starting the whole thing after hitting Paredes in the head. While Hamilton understood their anger, "If they want to come over here, they can come over here," while expressing his desire for wanting to play the Rays again this year.
The Rays and Yankees will not play again this season. While the playoffs would be the only opportunity for the two to square off, the odds aren't in the Yankees' favor, especially with each loss this late in the season. The Rays are 8-5 on the season against the Yankees.
