The New York Yankees were hosting the Pittsburgh Pirates, hoping to bounce back from their recent series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, a bench-clearing incident overshadowed the victory, as a confrontation stemming from José Caballero’s well-known pitch-clock strategy stole the spotlight. What followed were intense stares and gestures between Caballero and Pirates reliever Dennis Santana.

After Santana’s blown kiss sparked a heated exchange, Caballero offered his explanation.

“I just grounded out on a double play, turning my back to the coach at first base to give my guards to him, and he was sharpening on me,” Caballero said, detailing the bench-clearing incident, per SNY Yankees on X. “I was a little surprised about it.”

The Yankees took an early lead with a three-run homer by Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the first inning and were up 8-5 by the end of the third. The score remained unchanged when Santana took the mound in the eighth inning. With one out and Austin Wells on first base, José Caballero stepped into the batter’s box.

He grounded into a 1-6-3 double play on a low slider, ending the inning for the Yankees. However, as the young Yankee walked toward the dugout, he heard Santana say something to him. The two then started moving toward each other, and within seconds, both teams emptied their dugouts in support of their teammates.

While both teams tried their best to de-escalate the situation, Santana was clearly frustrated. Pirates catcher Rafael Flores Jr. struggled to hold the pitcher back as he repeatedly tried to charge toward the Yankees player. Notably, Santana was furious because Caballero repeatedly tried to run down the pitch clock. But the 29-year-old was well within the rules and didn’t believe Santana’s frustration was justified.

“At this point, he’s lucky he doesn’t get a ball right away,” Caballero said during the postgame. “We all should know about the rules. The whole league should know who I am, what I do in the box. For you to get mad about something the league implements, you should be mad at someone else.”

According to MLB rules, the pitcher must begin his delivery within 15 seconds, or 18 seconds if there is a runner on base, while the batter must be ready to hit with at least eight seconds remaining on the pitch clock. But Caballero was waiting until the last possible moment to get set, trying to bait Santana into a pitch-clock violation.

“For me, I grounded out into a double play,” José Caballero told the reporters. “He got what he wanted; he should go to the other side, and he was walking to the wrong side.”

He believes Santana should have walked toward his own dugout instead of engaging in the exchange. However, Caballero noted that he couldn’t hear what the reliever was saying because they were too far apart.

Maybe that worked out for both of them since the umpires didn’t eject anyone. Plus, the Yankees ensured a much-needed turnaround after the series loss to the Dodgers. They will now look forward to the second game after an 8-5 win on Monday.