High Heat!; Yankees, Tigers Clear Benches 3 Times in Retaliation Plunk-fest

I had heard this joke about hockey games, but can't recall someone saying it about a baseball game.

'Went to a brawl the other night as a (insert sport) game broke out!'

The Yankees and Tigers cleared the benches three separate times during Thursday's series finale in Detroit as both team's took turns beaning the opposing lineup.

The incredibly red-hot Gary Sanchez homered in the fourth inning to give the Yankees a 2-1 lead - it was his fourth home run of the series. Sanchez was then hit by Tigers starter Michael Fulmer during his next at bat in the fifth.

The game was 6-6 in the sixth when New York reliever Tommy Kahnle threw a ball behind Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera. Cabrera took exception, Kahnle was ejected and catcher Austin Romine stepped into 'Miggy's' path and the two were jawing a little bit.

This video picks up as Aroldis Chapman was brought into to relieve Kahnle, and just as play was about to resume Cabrera and Romine got to jawing again. Romine removed his face mask. Cabrera responded with a push and a punch to the face. The two started going at it and both teams rushed onto the field. Skipper Joe Girardi, Kahnle, Romine and Cabrera were all tossed.

Then in the bottom of the seventh, Yankees reliever Dellin Betances hit James McCann in the head with a 98-mph fastball. Of course, both sides rushed the field again. Betances got tossed along with bench coach Rob Thomson, who was at this point serving as manager for the ejected Girardi. Bring on David Robertson who promptly hits the very next batter, John Hicks. (Incredibly, this did not lead to an ejection or another scuffle.)

The Tigers eventually cashed in the two hit-batters, and an ensuing walk to score three runs in the seventh. At 9-6 in the eighth, Tigers reliever Alex Wilson plunked Todd Frazier in the hip with a fastball and the fun started again. The benches cleared and Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner had to pulled away from the melee and held back more than once.

Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus, and Wilson got tossed for that incident.

The game ended without further scraps between the clubs, but it appears there was a disagreement in the Tigers dugout between Justin Verlander and Victor Martinez. Detroit went on to win 10-6 and avoided the three game sweep.