Chris Martin ignited the Boston Red Sox’s dugout with his fiery attitude at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon.
The tension arose when Martin had a heated exchange with Milwaukee Brewers’ first base coach Quentin Berry, stemming from Martin’s displeasure with the Brewers’ batting strategy in the seventh inning. Berry’s reaction to Martin’s criticism escalated the situation, leading to both benches clearing as coaches and players intervened to separate the two.
Although no physical altercations occurred, Red Sox manager Alex Cora and outfielder Jarren Duran felt the incident added to the game’s intensity and energized the team.
“Whenever the benches clear, everyone gets fired up,” Duran told NESN’s Jahmai Webster following the 2-1 victory. “Big Rig (Martin) was really getting everyone hyped up. You never see him like that; he’s usually so calm and collected.”
Cora echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the positive impact on the atmosphere at Fenway Park.
“I think it was good. The atmosphere was great,” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN. “The fans really got into it.”
Martin’s frustration stemmed from Milwaukee’s back-to-back bunts during the tied game, which he vocalized to Berry.
The Red Sox took the lead in the eighth inning with Duran’s RBI single, scoring Ceddanne Rafaela for the game-winning run and helping Boston avoid a series sweep.
Next, the Red Sox head to Baltimore to begin a three-game series against the Orioles, with the first pitch set for 1 p.m. ET on Monday.
