Yankees vs Red Sox

A fight erupted during the Red Sox Tigers game in the third inning of Tuesday’s game with Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis tacking Nick Porcello after being hit in the shoulder in the bottom of the third inning. Both were ejected.

The stage of the Tigers Red Sox fight was set the inning before. Red Sox pitcher, Junichi Tazawa, making his first major league start after giving up the go ahead home run to Alex Rodriguez after Saturday’s grueling 15-inning shutout, hit Miguel Cabrera in the hand. Cabrera would leave the game a few minutes later. Porcello went tight and in to Victor Martinez up in after Cabrera got hit but Martinez was able to avoid the pitch. He did glare at Porcello. The following inning Porcello hit Youkilis in the shoulder. Youkilis immediately rushed the mound, threw his helmet at Porcello before tackling him on the ground before benches emptied and a pile formed on top of the two. It did not appear like any punches were through, although Ramon Ramirez was one player that needed to be held back

The bad blood between the Red Sox and Tigers reaches back to the first game of the series on Monday. Sox started Brad Penny hit Miguel Cabrera, followed by the Tiger immediately retaliating with Edwin Jackson hitting Kevin Youkilis. Apparently Youk is not happy with being the league’s punching bag. After some deliberation and discussion with the managers, Porcello was thrown after throwing 15 pitches.

The fight immediately got the Red Sox going. With Mike Lowell pitch running for the tossed Youkilis, David Ortiz got on base, and Jason Bay crushed a ball over the Green Monster to tie the game 3-3. After arguing a called out on an attempted stolen base, Red Sox Manger Terry Francona was thrown out of the game in the second.

TV announcers Dennis Eckersley and Don Orsillo were in disagreement over the purposeness of the pitch. Eckersley though the pitch just got away from him, repeatedly saying the 20-year-old Porcello was “not that cool.” And pointed to the surprise of Porcello to be ran at, plus the fact that catcher Alex Avila was not able to catch up to him. Orsillo was not so sure, and seemed sure that it was on purpose. Red Sox fans hope this is the push they needed to right the ship that went the wrong way in a six game loosing streak to the Rays and Yankees. The Sox finally snapped the loosing streak in the first game of the series, beating the Tigers 6-5.