Benches cleared during Wednesday’s series finale between the Yankees and Orioles in Camden yards after a collision at second base during the fourth inning.
Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad stole second base during the bottom of the fourth, and as he slid into the bag to complete the steal, Pablo Reyes jumped to try and field a high throw, and as he came down, he made contact with Kjerstad’s head. Kjerstad began jawing at Reyes, and soon after, the benches emptied as the two teams crowded around second base, while the bullpens emptied as well.
It was another chapter in what seems to be an annual dust-up between the two teams, but both sides brushed off the confrontation when asked about it after the game, as Aaron Boone chalked it up to “a misunderstanding,” and Kjerstad said afterward that it wasn’t “too much” of anything.
The clearing of the benches certainly seemed unnecessary, as Reyes seemed to simply attempt to stop the high throw from sailing into the outfield and potentially allowing Kjerstad to advance. Once airbone, it would have been incredibly difficult for Reyes to avoid making and contact with Kjerstad.
The Orioles hung on to win the game 5-4 and take the three-game series.