Yankees’ Clay Holmes’ pitch hits Kjerstad, sparks bench-clearing altercation

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In a tense ninth inning at Camden Yards, a pitch from Yankees closer Clay Holmes struck Orioles rookie Heston Kjerstad on the helmet, clearing the benches and bullpens. The incident ignited a heated exchange between the teams, adding drama to an otherwise straightforward game.

Despite the delay, the Yankees secured a 4-1 victory over the Orioles in the series opener. The game concluded just minutes later, solidifying the Yankees’ win.

The Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees are currently locked in one of MLB’s most compelling division races. The drama escalated on Friday when Kjerstad took a 96.8 mph sinker to the helmet from Holmes with the Yankees leading 4-1.

Brandon Hyde vs Austin Wells

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde, visibly furious after the pitch, confronted the New York dugout. Yankees catcher Austin Wells intervened, but the benches and bullpens had already emptied. The ensuing scrum involved plenty of contentious shoving before dissipating.

Hyde was ejected for starting the brawl, and Kjerstad was replaced by pinch-runner Austin Hays. After the game, Hyde told Yahoo Sports that the Yankees coaching staff’s behavior set him off: “It’s an emotional time. My guy just got hit right in the ear. I’m upset, and then I see their dugout waving and yelling at me, so I just didn’t appreciate it.”

Kjerstad was later reported to be in concussion protocol.

The Yankees retired the next two batters, Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins, to end the game with a 4-1 win. Gerrit Cole, the Cy Young winner, led the Yankees with a strong start, allowing only one earned run in six innings and striking out seven. Meanwhile, Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading 33rd home run of the season.

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The loss was the Orioles’ fourth straight, moving the Yankees to just one game behind them for the AL East lead. The Yankees will need to win at least one of their games against the Orioles on Saturday and Sunday to enter the All-Star break fighting equally for the top spot in the AL standings.

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