Red Sox and Angels Clear Benches

The Red Sox and Angels game took a brief respite today in the second inning. With speedy Chone Figgins on second and one out, Red Sox SP Josh Beckett had the Angels' Bobby Abreu behind 1-2 in the count.

With the threat of a Figgins steal, Beckett looked back at second four times, leading to Abreu calling time, which was granted just as Beckett began his delivery, as you can see above.

What happened next led to four Angels ejections.

Beckett threw the ball in the vicinity of Abreu’s dome, scaring the aging OF with a mid-90s fastball. Abreu, understandably upset, shouted at Beckett, who has a reputation for hardheadedness and a bit of a temper. Beckett gestured back and the benches and bullpens cleared.

After the dust had settled, Justin Speier, Torii Hunter, and Mickey Hatcher had been ejected for their actions in the melee. No punches were thrown, but tensions are definitely high for these two playoff rivals.