BALTIMORE—In the bottom of the fifth inning of a game the Orioles would lose 14-2 to the New York Yankees, a frustrated first-year manager and his underachieving first baseman engaged in a dispute that was caught on camera.
Manager Brandon Hyde and Chris Davis argued in the Orioles’ dugout. Hyde appeared to walk into the tunnel to move away from Davis, who was restrained by Mark Trumbo, hitting coach Don Long and second baseman Jonathan Villar.
Trumbo walked Davis down to the other end of the dugout, and he was removed from the game.
“It was just a disagreement we had in the dugout,” Hyde said. “What was said and what we talked about, I’m not going to get into. We’re going to keep it in house. It’s private.
“It was just something that happens sometimes. Frustration boils over a little bit when we’re not playing our best baseball the last couple games. Unfortunately, I’m embarrassed that it was caught on camera and people had to see it, but sometimes those things happen.”
Davis, who is hitting .182, struck out in his first at-bat. He was not in the Orioles’ clubhouse when it was opened to reporters.
Hyde wouldn’t say what precipitated the argument, but said Davis didn’t ask to come out of the game.
“I took him out of the game,” Hyde said. “We had words, and I took him out of the game. Me and Chris have a good relationship. Things happen in competitive environments. It was something that will pass and we’ll get through it, but it was just unfortunate it happened in the dugout.”
Hyde said he did not talk with Davis about the incident after the game. The Orioles are off Thursday and begin a three-game series with Houston on Friday.
“We were saying words back and forth to each other, and it got a little bit heated,” Hyde said. “That’s kind of the extent of it. It is what it is. I don’t think it’s common. It happens on occasion. Unfortunately, it was caught on camera. It was just a frustration issue. We’ll move past it and hopefully be closer for it.”
Trumbo, who has yet to play this season and is continuing to rehab his surgically repaired right knee, said he didn’t know what started the incident.
“I wasn’t there for all of it,” Trumbo said. “I kind of came in right when it made its way to me, and I just tried to do what I can to make sure everyone kind of tries to cool down a little bit.”
The Orioles, who had played their best baseball of the season in the weeks before the Yankee series, had an ugly three games and allowed 32 runs and an astounding 16 home runs.
“There was a little bit of a disagreement,” Trumbo said. “I think this game was particularly tough and almost nothing went our way so I think everybody was pretty frustrated and those things tend to happen. Hopefully, they don’t happen in front of everybody. In this case it kind of did. Not ideal, but not that big of a deal.
“I mean, this stuff happens. It rarely gets talked about because you don’t see it all the time. Tensions are always high in the big leagues and tonight just a little bit too much, I think.”
Means starts strong: John Means returned from the 10-day injured list and started for the first time in two weeks. Means said he wasn’t rusty and that his left biceps, which sent him to the IL, didn’t bother him.
Means struck out five in two innings and had allowed one hit in 3 1/3 before Gio Urshela doubled in the fourth. New York scored on an RBI single by Cameron Maybin and a three-run home run by Kyle Higashioka. The Orioles would have been out of the inning if Maybin’s short fly to right center had been caught. Centerfielder Stevie Wilkerson pulled up on the ball instead of taking charge on the play, and rightfielder Trey Mancini made a diving attempt at the last minute. It started a night of sloppy defense for the Orioles.
“I made one bad pitch, honestly,” Means said. “I had a long inning and made a mistake, made an 0-2 curveball. You learn in Little League you don’t hang a curveball, 0-2, just stupid, but I’m learning.
“I’ve done that the last two outings. I’ve kind of had an inning where a few guys get on and then I make a mistake and it ends up hurting me in the end. Something that guys who stay in this league just don’t do. Guys that have time, they just execute that pitch when the inning gets long.”
Means allowed four runs on five hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Yankees continue hitting: The Yankees hit five home runs — Higashioka’s three-run homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the ninth, a pair of two-run home runs by Urshela in the fifth and sixth, and a solo shot by Maybin in the ninth.
New York set a major league record by hitting 52 home runs in 15 games against the Orioles, who have lost 12 straight to the Yankees and 15 consecutive at home.
The teams play their final four games of the season at Yankee Stadium beginning Monday.
Minor matters: Nate Karns, who had been outrighted by the Orioles to Triple-A Norfolk, has been released. Karns, who spent nearly all this season on the injury list with a right forearm injury, was 0-1 in four appearances. He didn’t allow an earned run in 7 1/3 innings.
Infielder Jose Rondon, who didn’t get a hit in his only at-bat with the Orioles, cleared waivers and was outrighted to Norfolk. Tides pitcher Chandler Shepherd, who spent one day with the Orioles last week but didn’t pitch, was named the International League Pitcher of the Week.
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I've got to say that when you're hitting .182 and have played as poorly as Davis has this year and last, you can't be surprised when the manager lifts you from the game. Davis has performed nowhere near the level that the O's expected of him since they erroneously gave him that ridiculous 7 year contract. Granted, getting drubbed by the Yankees did nothing to ease tensions, but if I were Davis, I'd keep my mouth shut and my head down while he continues to take millions of dollars he's not coming close to earning.
Frustration that's all. Can we PLEASE get a real CFer? Even the NY radio announcers were calling this a little League OF.
Ouch. Truth hurts.
We had one that we could have signed for 2 or 3 mil and he would’ve helped mentor and develop the young guys
Pitching, Pitching Pitching! 16 home runs in three games sums it up. Our GM Mike Elias must build a pitching staff now. Waiver wire pick ups is not going to cut it. Speaking of Davis cut him or send him to the minors. Now! Bring up Ryan Mountcastle.
They just might yet catch the Tigers ...
CD is indeed having a lot of fun.
Too bad no one is there to show him a good swing. An uppercut will do no harm either. But jokes aside, it's very hard to take Davis' side even if Hyde had made a really vile remark. A player that sucks so badly with hardly a sign of improvement over two years can hardly be acquitted for coming to fists.
There’s no need to beat the dead horse on his performance.. Just let him go on his way and collect his cash. It’s a sunk cost. Move on and accept your failure. The young guys in the clubhouse are probably thinking what every other fan is thinking. None of them would be on the major league team if they had played this poorly for half the length of time he has. Combine that w an incident with your manager and how can you justify keeping him? Stuff like this really gives the “dumpster fire” narrative legs.
The young guys are probably thinking, "Eight years from now, when I'm underperforming in the third year of a lucrative long-term contract, I can thank Chris Davis for sticking it out and setting a precedent." Otherwise, Chris Davis and Brandon Hyde are not exactly Reggie Jackson and Billy Martin, but it's nice to see a little passion. It provided entertainment for the TV crews and viewers during an otherwise forgettable game. That's why it got so much attention. Also, Means bringing up the Little League curve ball after serving one up seems to be picking up a theme that will be with us till next August. I hope the analytics guys check out the birth certificates next spring. Wouldn't want to forfeit to the Red Sox on a technicality.
The whole night... Beyond Pathetic! Just saying...
They didn't need to block Davis from getting to Hyde. He probably would have swung and missed anyway.
BINGO!
He could have got caught looking as well.
Couple things, Hyde needs to figure some stuff out, he says (some of the time) he protects his guys, I'm NOT sticking up for CD, but seriously, take him out & put in another left hander, weak hitting left hander, don't blame CD for being pissed, bat a right hander for him, sorry CD, secondly if CD wants to get all his money he better watch how he acts, I'm sure they have a clause somewhere in his contract about behavior, detrimental to the team (no jokes), he may find himself in violation of contract & have it void...DEFINITELY time to move on, this is ridiculously old...go O's...
That is just what I said last night when I saw the replay on the wrap-up show. You can bet that there is an "insubordination clause in that contract and this could be just the start of the negotiations for a buy-out of the rest of the contract.
Anyone really believe that if Hyde and Davis had gotten into it that Davis would have actually Hit something???
I love ya Chris, but your time has passed. Just like all those called 3rd strikes over the past few years.
Orioles, do the guy a favor......let him go.
Maybe he didn't want to pitch? I wouldn't blame Hyde for asking.
Hyde: "Crush, you wanna pitch?"
Davis: "No, I'm a hitter."
Hyde: "No, you're not."
:)
LMAO, that’s pretty good...go O’s...
Man, remember back on Sunday when everyone was all giddy about going .500 and there was talk about "turning the corner" and what not? New York comes into town with a bunch of bartenders and landscapers hitting 400 foot bombs in the 7,8 and 9 lineup slots, DJ Stewart gives it the old flying headbutt and we get 160 million worth of .180 hitter going all "Reggie and Billy" on live TV. Woof.
So how is Lamar Jackson looking in camp...
This cluster situation is squarely on the Angelos boys. You can bet Ravens ownership would be public, front and center on Davis if it was football. Hey, man up Angelos boys. Are you really running day to day operations? I’m about to call BS on that. Come out from behind the curtain and lead! Is this still daddy’s team where all that exists is public silence and withdraw? Come to the ballpark every now and then, for heaven’s sake, and show some interests.
So was Davis mad because he was being taken out? Or was he taken out because of the incident?
He was taken out because of the incident.
I find it hard to believe that Davis returns in 2020.