Ex-Red Sox Speaks Out After Sparking Benches-Clearing Incident

Tempers flared in Wednesday night’s matchup between the Yankees and the Orioles.

Both American League East clubs emptied their benches after Heston Kjerstad and Pablo Reyes started barking at each other in the fourth inning at Camden Yards. Kjerstad seemed to take exception to Reyes landing on his head after the New York infielder leaped in an attempt to catch a throw down to second base.

“A couple words there that I felt like disrespected me in the heat of the moment,” Reyes told reporters through an interpreter about the interaction with Kjerstad, per ESPN. “Later on, he kind of toned down a little bit.”

Reyes added: “Maybe at the beginning, he thought I did it on purpose. But obviously, he couldn’t see the throw or how the play really developed.”

Kjerstad, who ignited the war of words with Reyes, brushed off the ordeal after the O’s edged out the Bronx Bombers in their series finale. The 26-year-old wrote the incident off as emotions from getting “tangled up” with Reyes.

The loss prevented New York from growing its AL East division lead over Boston, where Reyes played parts of two seasons before putting on pinstripes.