Benches clear after Yankees pitcher hits Orioles batter in head, a breakdown

Jul 13, 2024 2.6M views 9:35

What Happened

On July 13, 2024 at Camden Yards, Yankees closer Clay Holmes entered to protect a three-run lead in the bottom of the ninth against the Orioles. With two strikes on the batter and rain falling, a sinker slipped out of Holmes' hand and ran up and in instead of sinking, catching the hitter flush in the helmet near the ear. The batter went to the ground, eventually landed on the seven-day concussion IL, and what started as a scary injury turned into a screaming match. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde cursed out Holmes, the Yankees dugout barked back, and benches cleared.

Why This Matters

Holmes plunking a guy in the head wasn't intentional. Nobody throws at a hitter's skull while sitting on a 0-2 count in a save situation. The friction was about pattern. Jomboy's homework shows the Yankees had hit Baltimore ten times that season, often pitching up and in to Orioles lefties, while the Orioles barely threw inside at all. So Hyde's anger had a backstory, even if this particular pitch was an accident. There's an old code in baseball: if you can't command up and in, don't pitch there. The hit batter going on the concussion IL gave the grievance teeth. With the Yankees and Orioles trading the AL East lead all summer, this added real heat to a rivalry that already had plenty.

At 2.6M views it ranks #70 of 1,583 Jomboy breakdowns, landing in the top 4.4% of the whole catalog.

Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Aaron Judge, Clay Holmes. Teams: Yankees, Orioles.

Key Terms Mentioned

Full Transcript

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the Yankees are up three in the bottom of the ninth Clay Holmes is in for the save this

breakdown is brought to you by t-mobile america's largest 5g network first pitch a little sinker in

97 miles per hour it's raining in baltimore it's hot humid and raining a slider he has him oh two

and then oh 97 it cuts into his head scary moment can't even imagine how scary that has to be and

then the pain that would ensue look at this it was supposed to be another sinker but it slipped