Red Sox Vs. Yankees: Hit Batters, Ejections Mark Game 1

Three hit batters, two ejections and a benches-clearing “discussion” ushered in a huge three-game series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. The series already had high-stakes and plenty of drama, with the Yankees battling to reel in the Red Sox in the AL East standings. All it took was a few stray pitches, whether intentional or not, to ignite the fire.

Tensions boiled over in the seventh when John Lackey plunked Francisco Cervelli just two innings after the Yankees’ catcher went deep for a solo home run. Cervelli’s emphatic clapping as he crossed the plate didn’t sit well with Lackey, and thus the first-pitch plunking in the seventh.

Cervelli was unhappy, the benches cleared and nothing much came of it, outside of the typical shoving match and heated discussion that quickly dissipates.New York pitching coach Larry Rothschild was tossed and the drama ended for the time being.

The fireworks weren’t quite over, though. In the bottom of the ninth, with a 5-2 lead, Joe Girardi got his money’s worth, and was sent to the clubhouse after Mariano Rivera plunked Jared Saltalamacchia. As you can see, Girardi was hopping mad.

via Bubba Prog

The Yankees were able to slam the door following the ejection, taking the first game of a three-game series, 5-2.

With tensions still high, Wednesday night’s game has the potential to be more of the same, with the Red Sox holding a slim 1/2-game lead in the standings and both teams fighting for the division lead heading into the stretch run. The Yankees and Red Sox hit the field in Boston at 7 p.m. EDT.

For more on this game, head over to Pinstripe Alley and SB Nation New York, for Yankees fans, or SB Nation Boston and Over The Monster, for Red Sox fans.