After the Yankees took issue with Aaron Judge and Gleyber Torres getting hit by Baltimore pitches on Tuesday, the Bombers bullpen turned the tables — whether it intended to or not — in Wednesday’s 7-6, 10-inning loss to the Orioles at the Stadium.
First, Victor Gonzalez drilled Gunnar Henderson with a 94 mph sinker in the back of the shoulder with the first pitch of the top of the seventh.
Henderson and the Orioles got a measure of revenge when he scored later in the inning on a Ryan Mountcastle double to give the Orioles a four-run lead that loomed larger when Giancarlo Stanton blasted a three-run shot in the bottom of the inning and the Orioles held on by just a run.
And then Caleb Ferguson hit Colton Cowser with a 94 mph four-seam fastball with one out in the eighth.
Cowser slammed his bat down, but then trotted to first base and said afterward he was certain Ferguson didn’t hit him on purpose in a one-run game and was simply upset about not getting to swing the bat.
It came after the Yankees said Tuesday they did not believe that Judge, who missed Wednesday’s game after getting hit on the left hand, and Torres were targeted.
Asked if he believed Gonzalez was throwing at Henderson, Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said, “I have no idea.”
Not surprisingly, Gonzalez said through an interpreter he was just trying to execute a pitch up and in.
Cedric Mullins said of the pitches that it was “pure speculation weather it was purposeful or not.”
“Things happen throughout a season,’’ Mullins said. “I personally don’t think [they were on purpose]. It’s just the intensity of the games and where we are in the standings.”
And Aaron Boone said no warnings were issued.
A day prior, Judge acknowledged after being hit that he was “pissed” that Baltimore pitchers continued to throw high and tight.
Prior to Wednesday’s game, Hyde addressed the Yankees being upset with several up-and-in pitches his staff threw on Tuesday.
“I think getting hit is unfortunately a terrible part of the game, and I don’t think anybody wants to see anybody get hit,” Hyde said. “I don’t want to see their guys get hit. I don’t want to see our guys get hit.”
He didn’t get his wish.
“When something like that happens — because it’s probably in New York — it’s a little bit bigger of a deal,’’ Hyde said. “But we just don’t want that to happen.”
The teams close out their three-game series in The Bronx on Thursday and after Alex Verdugo said Tuesday that he expected there to be more of an “edge” to the games following the opener, there no doubt will be an even brighter spotlight Thursday on the two top teams in the AL East, and perhaps the entire American League.
