Benches Clear Twice Between New York Yankees, Rays

The benches cleared not once, but twice in the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays game.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Fight!

Benches cleared twice between the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday in the eighth inning after reliever Albert Abreu hit outfielder Randy Arozarena with a pitch.

Benches clear after Albert Abreu drills Randy Arozarena with a pitch and he was NOT happy pic.twitter.com/I803CkGEPs

— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 27, 2023

This was the fourth time, in which a Yankee pitcher hit a Rays batter in the series finale on Sunday.

Arozarena stood at the plate and yelled at Abreu, which prompted both benches to clear. Words were exchanged between both teams, but no punches were thrown.

But this wasn't the only altercation of the inning. Arozarena stole second and third base and then proceeded to yell something at Abreu, which caused benches to clear again. Like the first time, there were no punches thrown and no ejections.

Arozarena would go on to score on a Brandon Lowe double, which extended the Rays' lead to 7-4.

The tension began between these two teams on Friday night when Jonathan Loaisiga hit Yandy Diaz. Diaz hasn't played since.

On Sunday, Carlos Rodon hit Osleivis Basabe in the first inning, Ian Hamilton hit Isaac Paredes in the fifth and hit Jonathan Aranda in the sixth.

The Yankees fell to the Rays by a score of 7-4 to lose two out of three in the series. New York is now 62-68 on the season and 11 games back of the final Wild Card spot in the American League.