Brandon Hyde engaged in a heated confrontation with officials during the ninth inning of a game against the New York Yankees on July 12. This incident was emblematic of the ongoing tensions between the Baltimore Orioles and the Yankees throughout the season, particularly revolving around batters being hit by pitches.
The climax occurred when Heston Kjerstad was struck in the head by a 96.8 mph sinker thrown by Clay Holmes. The impact was severe enough to cause a bench-clearing eruption, with Hyde swiftly taking to the field amidst the chaos. This altercation unfolded late in the game, marking a significant moment of conflict between the two rival teams.
Following the game, Hyde addressed the media about his ejection, attributing it to his reaction to provocations from the Yankees’ dugout. “Just walking back, and I hear stuff from their dugout,” Hyde recounted. “So, just reacted the way I did. Saw that they were pointing at me, and the whole thing. Just reacted the way I did…I’m reacting to their coaches. I reacted the way I did. It’s an emotional time at that time, my [player] just got hit right in the ear, I’m upset, and then I see their dugout. They’re waving at me and yelling at me. Just didn’t appreciate it at the time.”
Despite the heated moment, Hyde clarified that his frustration was not rooted in previous encounters with the Yankees but rather sparked by the immediate circumstances of the game. “We were getting beat, didn’t get much going offensively,” Hyde admitted. “Gerrit Cole threw the ball great, and their bullpen did also. We just had a tough time scoring runs.”
At the time of the incident, the Orioles were leading the AL East with a record of 57-37, just one game ahead of the Yankees, adding intensity to their competitive matchups.
The Yankees’ perspective on the controversy was also sought post-game. Aaron Judge, who had hit a crucial home run in the Yankees’ 4-1 victory, acknowledged the escalating tension but downplayed its potential long-term effects on their rivalry with the Orioles. “There’s been some balls back & forth hitting guys throughout the season,” Judge observed. “The tension kind of rose there in a situation where they’re down in the game, you know getting a little heated.”
Manager Aaron Boone expressed concern for Kjerstad’s well-being and acknowledged the emotional nature of the game between two teams vying for a playoff spot. “First of all, I hope Heston’s alright,” Boone stated. “No one ever wants to see that, it’s scary in the moment. First and foremost, I hope he’s ok. Obviously, an emotional moment, two teams playing for a lot. So, glad it didn’t escalate too much.”
Pitcher Clay Holmes, whose pitch hit Kjerstad, emphasized the unintentional nature of the incident, attributing it to challenging pitching conditions. “It was one of those things, where, it’s very unfortunate,” Holmes reflected. “You’re never trying to hit someone in the head, up high like that. I hope Heston’s okay from that. Definitely hope he’s all good tomorrow. One of those things where conditions weren’t great, I was trying to throw a front-door sinker there and it just cut.”
Reflecting on the broader performance of the Orioles, manager Hyde praised rookie pitcher Cade Povich despite the team’s recent offensive struggles. “I thought Cade threw the ball great,” Hyde remarked. “For only having a handful of starts under his belt, to be able to navigate through the lineups the way he did, you know he made that bad pitch to Aaron Judge there 0-2 unfortunately. But besides that, I thought he threw the ball really well.”
Looking ahead, Hyde expressed determination for the Orioles to bounce back from their recent setbacks and end the first half of the season on a strong note. “That wasn’t the intention,” Hyde responded to questions about whether the bench-clearing incident would galvanize his team. “We’ve been playing really good baseball in this first half. I just want to see us end the half playing well. And we’ve run into a little bit of a skid right now, we’re kind of going through some tough times offensively.”
With the series against the Yankees continuing, the Orioles were set to send Grayson Rodriguez to the mound, aiming to even the series and regain momentum heading into the latter half of the season.
In summary, the confrontation between Brandon Hyde and officials during the Orioles-Yankees game underscored the intense rivalry and competitive stakes between the teams, with emotions running high amid a season characterized by significant momentum swings and strategic challenges.
