Yankees-Orioles fans fuming over benches-clearing brawl that saw punches thrown after Heston Kjerstad nailed in the head
CHAOS broke out as the benches cleared on both sides of the Yankees-Orioles game on Friday night.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder, Heston Kjerstad, was nailed in the head with a pitch during the bottom of the ninth inning as the Yankees led 4-1.
Yankees closer Clay Holmes threw the pitch that drilled Kjerstad in the head so hard that his helmet flew off.
After being hit, Kjerstad fell onto the ground clutching his head and screaming before both benches cleared.
The Baltimore outfielder was then escorted off the field and out of the game.
Tempers flared as players from both teams stormed onto the field, causing a huge commotion and reaction from fans.
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Announcers even described the game as "frustrating for both sides" before Kjerstad was hit by the pitch, likely being the last straw in a game that saw bad weather and poor playing conditions in a bitter rivalry match-up.
"Brandon Hyde just STOOD ON BUSINESS," one fan wrote on X of the Orioles manager after he had to be held back from going after Holmes.
But another disagreed, saying, "0-2 count bottom 9 up 3. Clearly not on purpose."
"I don’t understand why Hyde got upset," said someone else.
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"Holmes was trying to be respectful to see if he was okay," the fan said he observed.
"But [Aaron] Judge cries to the media about pitchers throwing up and in," wrote one disgruntled fan.
"It's literally pouring rain bud…," responded one fan to the comment.
"Try throwing a ball in the rain, you might miss a throw or two," they continued.
"He hit him in the head, doesn’t really matter if it’s on purpose or not, you don’t do that," added another.
"If you can’t throw up in and inside then don’t do it," adding that the pouring rain should have been an extra deterrent for Holmes but wasn't.
PITCHES GET STITCHES
This is now Holmes' third batter hit this season, and the 30th of his career.
The Yankees, who lead the MLB in batters hit, currently have two pitchers in the top 10 for batters hit on the season - Carlos Rodón and Marcus Stroman.
Rodón and Stroman alone have a combined 17-hit batters between the both of them.
Overall, the Yankees lead the league with 62 hit batters on the season so far.
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This is a comfortable five-batter lead over the team with the second-most hit batters, The New York Mets.
New York has a combined 119 hit-batters between both teams.