“Definitely wasn’t try to do anything or hurt him” - Clay Holmes opens up on hitting Heston Kjerstad on the head following Yankees vs. Orioles scuffle
New York Yankees closer Clay Holmes has said that he had no intention of plonking Baltimore Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad on the head when the two teams met at Camden Yards on Friday night. Holmes said that he threw an errant pitch and that it was unfortunate that it accidently hit the left-handed Kjerstad.
Clay Holmes was on the mound in the top of the ninth inning, with the Yankees leading the Orioles 4-1 lead on a wet evening in Baltimore. Holmes threw a 96.8-mph sinker that hit Kjerstad on the helmet, bringing him to the ground.
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde rushed toward home plate to check on his player, who eventually got up and walked toward first base after a while. Hyde started barking at Holmes before pointing his finger at the Yankees bench as he charged up the visiting team's dugout.
As a result, a massive brawl ensued, but luckily nobody was hurt, as no punches were thrown by either team.
Clay Holmes said after the game to share his perspective on the incident, clarifying that he had no intention to hit the Orioles rookie.
"Conditions weren't great. I wanted to throw a front-door sinker there, and it just cut away. The movement (on the pitch) was not my normal sinker. I just pulled it, but it cut and ran up and in on him. I definitely was not trying to do anything or hurt or hit him," Clay Holmes said.
"It was one of those things. It's unfortunate. You never try to hit somebody in the head up high like that. I hope Heston is okay from that. I definitely hope that he's okay tomorrow," he added.
Heston Kjerstad was removed from the game by Orioles trainers, with Austin Hays replacing him as the pinch-runner.
Meanwhile, Brandon Hyde was tossed out for starting the brawl. Clay Holmes got the next two batters out without any drama to close out the victory for the Yankees.
"There is a very competitive atmosphere to this": Clay Holmes
The bench clearing incident on Friday was a microcosm of the hostility palpable each time the Yankees have locked horns with the Orioles this year.
There have been multiple instances of players getting hit on both sides. Clay Holmes feels that it's just a product of the intense competition between the two division rivals.
"It is the top two teams in the division. There is a very competitive nature to this. We know that these games mean something, and we are here to show up.
"When two teams are battling it out like that, you are going to feel the atmosphere and the competitive energy. That is the case here in this series," Clay Homes said.
By winning the opening encounter of the three-game series, the New York Yankees are within one game of the Baltimore Orioles, who are atop the American League East.