Blue Jays, Yankees empty benches and go at it after string of hit batsmen
TORONTO — Things turned ugly quickly Monday night as the Blue Jays and Yankees emptied the benches twice and went at it in the second inning after a string of hit batsmen.
By the time the dust had settled in the second inning, the sellout crowd at the Roger Centre had watched a melee that turned into a rolling ball of angry players moving across the infield before order was finally restored.
It started in the first inning when New York starter Luis Severino hit Josh Donaldson on the elbow. Then Toronto starter J.A. Happ took aim at Chase Headley, the first Yankee to go to the plate in the second with the game tied at 1-1. It took Happ two pitches to make contact with Headley — he just missed on the first attempt, throwing behind Headley.
Both benches and bullpens emptied but there was no real venom. The umpires cleared the field and the game continued.