Kevin Gausman Ejected vs. Red Sox After Hitting Xander Bogaerts with Curveball

Due to the high tensions surrounding the Baltimore Orioles-Boston Red Sox series this week, Orioles starter Kevin Gausman was ejected in the bottom of the second inning after hitting Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts with an apparently errant pitch.

Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports noted Gausman was "furious" after his ejection. When speaking to reporters after the game, Gausman called the decision "pretty bush league."

After the game, home plate umpire Sam Holbrook explained his decision in a statement to the media:

"Just given the situation and the tension between the two clubs and all the stuff that's gone on over the past few weeks, we're all on high alert with anything. I know that the ball was a curveball, but it hit him square in the back, and just making a split decision at that point right there, there needs to be an end to this stuff, and I felt like the ejection was the right thing to do at the time, and that's what we did. Thankfully, we didn't have any more problems for the rest of the game."

Things got heated between the two teams Tuesday night when Chris Sale threw a 98 mph fastball behind Manny Machado.

Machado went on a profanity-laced tirade following the game, criticizing Sale and the entire Red Sox organization for going after him.

That incident came after Machado took out Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia with a slide into second during a game April 21. Machado appeared to raise his cleat over the bag, spiking Pedroia and forcing him out of the game. Two days later, Red Sox pitcher Matt Barnes was ejected, and later suspended, for throwing at Machado's head.