Tampa Bay Rays Manager Kevin Cash Warns Yankees As Feud Continues

Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash appeared to threaten the New York Yankees on Tuesday night, warning that his team might retaliate after Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman nearly hit Rays infielder Michael Brosseau in the head with a 101 mph fastball in the top of the ninth inning.

“Somebody’s got to be accountable,” Cash told reporters after a 5-3 Yankees’ victory. “And the last thing I’ll say on this is I got a whole damn stable full of guys that throw 98 mph. Period.”

Chapman struck out Brosseau to end the game before the benches cleared and the two players had to be separated. Brosseau, Cash and Tampa Bay clearly thought Chapman threw at the batter on purpose, amplifying the bad blood between the two division rivals.

Yankees starter Masahiro Tanaka hit Joey Wendle in the first inning with a pitch that Cash felt was intentional. Chapman didn’t speak with reporters after the game.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” Cash said. “It was mishandled by the Yankees. Certainly the pitcher on the mound. It was mishandled by the umpires.”

Tuesday’s incident was the culmination of a feud that started on Sept. 27, 2018, when Rays pitcher Andrew Kittredge threw up-and-in to former Yankees catcher Austin Romine. C.C. Sabathia, who pitched for the Yankees from 2009-2019, hit a Rays batter with his first pitch in the bottom half of the inning and was ejected from the game.

“The comments from their manager, those made the rounds pretty quickly in our clubhouse,” Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu said. “Obviously that’s a pretty serious threat. It sounds like they’re going to try and throw at us tomorrow. We’ll be ready.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone called Cash’s comments “scary,” noting that he has a good relationship with the Rays manager.

Wednesday is the last regular-season game scheduled between the two clubs, though they could meet in the playoffs. The Rays have a 3.5-game lead over the second-place Yankees atop the AL East.

Tampa Bay has the best record in the American League.