Tempers flared during the Yankees-Orioles game after a chaotic strike-him-out, throw-him-out play went sideways. With a full count and a runner on first, Pablo Reyes jumped to catch a high throw to second. In the process, he came down hard on Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad’s head. Kjerstad didn’t appreciate being landed on and let Reyes know about it right away. Reyes defended himself, saying he was just making a play on the ball. Words escalated quickly between the two as teammates and umpires tried to intervene.
The umpire behind the play looked overwhelmed, unsure how to separate the players. He tossed out a bunch of half-hearted “hey” attempts while players kept running their mouths. Anthony Volpe then stepped in with his usual sarcastic grin, trying to stir the pot while pretending to diffuse the situation. He laughed in Kjerstad’s face and told him to shut up, which didn’t do much to cool things off.
Bullpens emptied, with Orioles pitchers sprinting in from beyond the outfield wall. Both teams used the same gate, forming an orderly but tense procession before joining the mass of players doing little more than standing around. One reliever showed up late, maybe caught in the bathroom. Eventually, everyone walked back calmly. The replay showed Reyes had to jump to stop the ball, and while landing on someone’s head is unfortunate, it wasn’t malicious. Kjerstad’s frustration was understandable for a moment, but it probably didn’t need to drag out the way it did. Just baseball heat in the middle of a play gone wrong.