The big fight was supposed to be Saturday–ya know, Mayweather v. McGregor? But apparently after getting their asses handed to them in the first two games of the series, the Tigers decided to take a different approach this afternoon: just start swinging.
Ok, ok, ok..that’s not how it went down, but if it was their plan we should applaud them
Alright, now that that’s over.
This whole thing really started because of one fact: the Tigers could not keep Gary Sanchez in the ballpark this series. On Tuesday night he hit a 493-foot bomb, which is the longest home run in Comerica Park history. Overall, Sanchez hit four home runs in three games against the Tigers. Then when the fifth inning came around Michael Fulmer drilled him in the ribs with a fastball.
Fulmer: "I had zero intention of hitting him, but I think that was everything else just got escalated out of the situation."
— Jason Beck (@beckjason) August 24, 2017
Then…
With two outs in the sixth inning Tommy Kahnle threw behind Miguel Cabrera; Kahnle and manager, Joe Girardi, were both ejected. However, that’s just when the fireworks started. After Aroldis Chapman was done warming up, Miguel Cabrera and Austin Romine started throwing haymakers.
Romine and Cabrera were both ejected, but the worst part about the whole exchange was Gary Sanchez’s sucker punches on Cabrera and Nicholas Castellanos. And this was just the beginning.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Dellin Betances thew a 98 mph fastball that connected with the head of James McCann. The benches cleared again. What got lost in this entire melee was the intra-team argument that occurred in the Tigers dugout, between Victor Martinez, Justin Verlander, and Castellanos.
During this second bench clearning, the person right in the middle again was Sanchez.
If that look doesn’t say “I’m looking to brawl” I don’t know what does. If you watch the video of the exchange, Sanchez was waving his glove in a “come and get some” manner. Amazing that none of the people in charge, or the umpires in New York, missed the actions of the Yankees star catcher. He was antagonizing from the moment Cabrera started to throw blows.
Gotta wonder about Sanchez, too. McCann beaned in head, and if *NOT* intentional, why aren't you checking on health, not just patting glove?
— Matthew B. Mowery (@matthewbmowery) August 24, 2017
McCann would get the last laugh though, as he homered in the bottom of the eighth, and apparently (unintentionally) hit a Yankee fan in the face.
Send that ball outta here. 💪 https://t.co/UZjnr6PS5J
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 24, 2017
However, the fun was not over…
In the top of the eighth, Alex Wilson plunked Todd Frazier and again the benches cleared. Wilson was ejected, apparently, Brad Ausmus was also ejected and the fun continued.
Alex Wilson hits Frazier in thigh. Wilson ejected. Benches empty again. First career ejection for Wilson. Greene on for the @Tigers
— George Sipple ☕️ (@GeorgeSipple) August 24, 2017
Oh ffs this is out of control. This entire Tigers-Yankees game is off the rails and drunk with stupidity.
— Catherine Slonksnis (@CSlonksnis) August 24, 2017
Well said, Ms. Slonksnis.
At the end of the day, the Tigers and Yankees combined for four hit batsmen, 8 ejections, 16 runs and a partridge and a pear tree.
Oh yeah, and the Tigers won 10-6. But Justin Verlander won Twitter:
— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) August 24, 2017
The game was entertaining but also ugly. The fights were fun to watch. But the game was lost in all of it. Players and managers should be held accountable for their actions and most likely will. Sanchez should be the one who should get the most attention for his dirty work on clear display.
It was fun, entertaining, and gave Tigers fans something to be excited about. More than we can say about the entirety of the 2017 season for the boys. Hopefully we’ll see more fight from them (in the baseball sense) in the month ahead.
