Tensions ran a bit high Tuesday night when Nick Pivetta and Yandy Díaz exchanged a few words in the fifth inning of the Boston Red Sox’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Pivetta threw a pitch that was inside to Díaz before shouting an expletive at himself, but Díaz heard it and thought it was directed toward him. A few words were exchanged, some steps were taken and a few players emerged from the dugout, but nothing came of it.
After the Red Sox’s 8-4 loss, Pivetta didn’t have too much to say about the dust-up.
“Not worth a comment, to be honest with you,” he told reporters.
Fans shouldn’t read too much into what Pivetta said because Díaz shared his side of the story and it turns out it all was just a misunderstanding.
“He had given me a look after one of my doubles and so I thought possibly after that pitch that he was saying something to me,” Díaz told reporters, per the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkin. “So that’s what I heard and that’s how I reacted.
“I initially thought it was toward me, but when I turned around and asked what he was saying, he was saying how it wasn’t, it was toward him, but I was already a little bit heated so it escalated a little bit.”
This probably isn’t the type of thing that will spill over into Wednesday’s finale.
The Red Sox will look to secure their first series win against an American League East opponent when Brayan Bello makes his Major League Baseball debut for Boston. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action beginning at 6 p.m. on NESN.
