Heated rivalry boils over in 9th inning of Yanks' much-needed win

BALTIMORE -- Clay Holmes said he couldn’t make out the specific words being spat in his direction, but he could tell from Brandon Hyde’s demeanor that the Orioles’ manager was incensed -- understandably so, considering that Heston Kjerstad had just been drilled in the helmet by the Yankees’ closer, who went up and in with a 96.8 mph sinker.

Attempting to plead his case and check on Kjerstad, Holmes was shooed away by the Baltimore skipper. That prompted comments and gestures from coaches in the visitors’ dugout, where Hyde was soon charging, setting off a benches-clearing incident in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ 4-1 victory over the O’s on Friday night at Camden Yards.

“I was just trying to tell Heston that I wasn’t trying to do it; I hope he’s all right,” Holmes said. “I saw Hyde mouthing some stuff. Some people didn’t like that, and things got heated.”

Friday’s display was no isolated incident. Tensions have been high between the American League East rivals all season; during their previous series June 18-20 in New York, Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres were drilled by pitches in the opening game, and four Orioles were hit by pitches over the next two days.

Add in a steamy Inner Harbor setting for the top clubs in the division, now separated by just one game with two left to play before the All-Star break, and you may have all the necessary ingredients for a weekend-long powder keg.

“We’ve gotten quite a few of their guys hit by pitches. They’ve gotten us,” said Judge, who hit his Major League-leading 33rd homer in the win. “It just kind of boiled over there. Two good ballclubs; these are two important games coming up. I don’t think it will [carry over].”

Kjerstad rose to his feet quickly after being drilled by Holmes’ pitch, which jarred the outfielder’s helmet to the dirt. Hyde said he heard “stuff from their dugout,” adding, “I saw they were pointing at me and the whole thing, so I just reacted the way I did.”

When Hyde charged toward the Yankees’ bench, he was intercepted by New York catcher Austin Wells, who grappled with the manager while thinking: “It was a cool birthday.” Wells turned 25 on Friday.

“I was trying to limit the damage with that,” Wells said. “Nobody wants to fight; no one wants to be in that situation. So to be in the middle of it, I’m just trying to limit any unnecessary repercussions.”

Order would soon be restored from that heavy jostling, with home-plate umpire Will Little ejecting Hyde. Holmes remained in the game, inducing a fielder’s choice and a foul out to secure his 21st save of the season, preserving the second win of the year for Gerrit Cole.

Manager Aaron Boone said Cole “looked like our ace” carving through a formidable Baltimore lineup, turning in his strongest start of the year thus far.

“He was having fun,” Boone said. “There was a joy to the way he was pitching.”

Cole cleared the century mark for the first time this season, tossing 106 pitches (75 strikes) while assisting a bullpen that has been worked heavily on this trip. To get there, Cole needed to settle in after being taxed for 46 pitches through two innings and 60 through three.

A zippy eight-pitch fourth restored order for Cole, who did not make his season debut until June 19 vs. Baltimore due to right elbow inflammation. Cole limited the Orioles to one run on five hits, including Ramón Urías’ second-inning RBI single. Cole walked one and struck out seven.

“My command started to get better and better as the night went on,” Cole said. “I just kind of opened up both sides of the plate. [Pitching with] a little bit of a lead was great.”

The Yankees managed three runs in 5 1/3 innings against left-hander Cade Povich. Jose Trevino doubled home a run and Jahmai Jones stroked a run-scoring single in the second inning, then Judge cleared the left-field wall in the third for his first homer since July 2.

Not that Judge or the Yankees need any reminders, but their past several weeks have been brutal; Friday’s victory marked just their eighth in 24 games, the Majors’ worst mark over that stretch. Judge waved off that recent history, preferring to set his sights upon the nine innings just played and the 18 more to come in Baltimore.

Boone has repeatedly insisted that the season is “right in front of us,” a phrase that has prompted a few eye-rolls outside the clubhouse as the Yanks fared 0-7-1 in their past eight series. But if they find a spark in the wild events of Friday’s ninth inning, that sure would serve as a fine springboard into the All-Star break.

“Any time the benches clear, I think all the boys come together,” Judge said. “It’s baseball; you’re going to struggle, you’re going to have good moments, bad moments. We’ve got to stick together in this room and stay focused on what we can do to go out there and keep winning.”