The heavy-hitters were on full display between the New York Yankees and The Detroit Tigers Thursday afternoon, and we don’t mean baseball.
Fists were flying threw the air at Comerica Park in Michigan’s state capital after multiple batters were hit intentionally by pitchers on both sides, culminating in a benches clearing all-out-brawl.
A second, less violent altercation would see at least six players ejected from the game, five coming from the Yankees side.
Yankees and Tigers were involved in a bench clearing brawl Thursday, eventually leading to six ejections
Miguel Cabrera (left) shoved catcher Austin Romine after the two started jawing at each other at home plate
Things quickly escalated from there, when the two ballplayers wrestled each other to the ground throwing jabs along the way
The brawl proved so severe that both benches cleared, with teammates either attempting to get into the melee or pull teammates away
The trouble began when New York right-hander Tommy Kahnle threw his first pitch to Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera.
A 96 mph screamer zipped by Cabrera’s back in the sixth inning with Detroit leading 6-3, something the 34-year-old All-Star did not take to kindly too.
Kahnle was immediately tossed from the game, leading manager Joe Girardi to get into a screaming match with home plate umpire Carlos Torres, earning the Yankees skipper an ejection himself.
Just an inning earlier, Detroit starter Michael Fulmer tagged DH Gary Sanchez with a heater, yet Fulmer was allowed to stay in the game.
As Kahnle’s replacement began warming up, a jawing match between catcher Austin Romine and Cabrera ensued.
Things quickly escalated from there, when a shove by Cabrera led the two wrestling each other to the ground, throwing jabs left and right to each player’s midsection.
Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers fights with Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees during a bench clearing fight
Austin Romine #27 of the New York Yankees is held back by Victor Martinez #41 of the Detroit Tigers during a bench clearing fight in the sixth inning at Comerica Park
New York Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances, right, argues with umpire Dana DeMuth following the ejection
That’s when both benches cleared and met at home-plate, with players either clamoring to get a few licks in on the either side or teammates desperately trying to pull others away from the melee.
Predictably, both Cabrera and Romine were ejected from the game.
But the fireworks didn’t end there.
Detroit Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon, left, tries to pull Justin Verlander, center, away from New York Yankees’ Chase Headley during the second bench-clearing of the baseball game
James McCann, who was leading off the Tiger’s batting rotation in the seventh, was plunked square on the helmet with a 98-mph fastball, leaving him prostrate across the batter’s box immobilized.
As medical staff attended McCann, the umpires decided to toss Yankees pitcher Dellin Betances from the game.
Bench coach Rob Thompson, who took over for Girardi, argued the decision, and he was ejected.
Betances’ replacement, David Robertson, then hit Detroit catcher John Hicks with a pitch, loading the bases. The next batter, Jose Iglesias, subsequently hit a three-run double off of Robertson, proving too much for the Yankees to overcome in their 10-6 loss.
Tensions between the two teams escalated last month as well, when Kahnle beaned Detroit’s Mike Mahtook in the head with a 98-mph fast-ball. Mahtook was able to shake it off without much fuss, but Tigers manager Brad Ausmus called out Kahnle at the time.