BOSTON — The Red Sox apparently aren’t tolerating high slides, as they might have last April. And they’re not waiting to express their feelings.
Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly and Yankees DH Tyler Austin were ejected Wednesday night after the benches cleared for the second time, with punches thrown during Round Two.
Austin in the third inning irked the Red Sox with a slide into second base, as his left foot caught shortstop Brock Holt’s right leg. Move ahead four innings with the Yanks leading 10-6 and Kelly was out for revenge. With one out, he appeared to miss with an intent pitch in the second pitch of the at-bat. On the fourth pitch, he got Austin in the back.
Austin slammed down his bat and started to walk toward the mound. Kelly was seen on camera saying “Come on” to Austin while beckoning Austin with his hand. Austin picked up steam and went at Kelly. Austin didn’t seem to land any blows on Kelly and went to the ground, and Kelly may have successfully got a punch in with Austin on the ground.
Austin later was seen on camera landing a punch to the left side of third-base coach Carlos Febles’ head in a scene with a lot of people bunched together. Febles stayed in the game.
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The teams lingered on the field for a while. Phil Nevin, the Yankees third-base coach, started pointing and screaming at the Red Sox dugout after the sides had dispersed, unhappy with something.
On a frosty night in front of 32,400, Sox-Yanks hasn't been this heated in years.
In the first dust-up, there were two runners on when Tyler Wade dropped down a bunt fielded by Rafael Devers, who threw on to Holt covering at second base. Austin was on first base.
Austin, who had just singled to grow the Yankees lead to 5-1 with none out in the third, had his left foot above the ground and it made contact with Holt’s right leg, which was on the base. The two exchanged words and quickly, the bullpens cleared, but the confrontation didn’t escalate.
The umpires on the field determined the play was not a double-play attempt and was therefore non-reviewable, per the rules.