Red Sox vs. Yankees: Benches Clear Twice, Three Ejected After Brawl

The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox rivalry came to a boil during their game on Wednesday at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, with two players and a coach being ejected from the game after the two teams came to blows.

There were two bench-clearing episodes on the night, but it was the second one at the top of the seventh innings when the sparks flew and the two teams came to blows and Yankees designated hitter Tyler Austin was in the center of the melee.

According to ESPN’s Coley Harvey, it all started at the bottom of the third innings when Austin was a runner at first base. Yankees second baseman laid down a bunt along the third base line, Austin raced to the second base and slid into Red Sox shortstop Brock Holt.

Holt took exception to Austin’s aggressive slide which had his left foot pointing up and clattered into the shortstop’s right leg. The two players got into a shouting match which saw both benches clear and tempers flare. But after the two teams were separated, play resumed.

The first episode proved to be just a build-up to the second bench-clearing episode, which occurred at the top of the seventh innings with Austin again being one of the main protagonists. The other was Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly, whose 97.7mph fast ball hit Austin squarely in the back.

The Yankees hitter was enraged after being hit on the back and this came after Kelly’s previous fast ball had just missed hitting him. Austin wasted no time in slamming his bat to the ground after which came off his helmet before charging at Kelly, who also refused to back down.

As the two players hit the ground throwing punches at each other, both the benches cleared and a huge fight ensued. Punches and tackles came flying in from both sides as both dugouts emptied for the second time on the night.

It was clear that Kelly’s aggression toward Austin was fueled by his earlier slide at the second base when he caught Red Sox shortstop Holt. Once the players were separated and the tension eased, Austin and Kelly along with Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin were ejected from the game.

Kelly was replaced by pitcher Brian Johnson, while Shane Robinson replaced Austin. Yankees quality control coach Carlos Mendoza came in for Nevin. The game resumed with the Red Sox trailing 10-6 and it eventually finished 10-7 to the Yankees.

Coincidentally, the fracas between the Yankees and the Red Sox was predicted by Boston Herald sports columnist Steve Buckley in December last year. He also picked the exact game when the two bench-clearing episodes will occur.

“I guarantee at least one bench-clearing episode between the Sox and the Yankees in 2018. Better yet, let’s make it two bench-clearing episodes. The first will involve some sort of breach of etiquette — a pitch to the head, a takeout slide, somebody doing too much stylin’ after hitting a home run — and then all hell will break loose,” Buckley wrote on Dec. 8, 2017.