Benches clear between Detroit Tigers, Angels after exchange involving Tarik Skubal

DETROIT – The benches cleared Friday night during the game between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels after an exchange involving Tarik Skubal.

It all started on Skubal’s first pitch of the night. After the Tigers went scoreless in the top of the first, he came out and threw a fastball to Angels shortstop Zach Neto.

Neto was ready, demolishing it 107.9 mph and 429 feet to center field to give his team a 1-0 lead. He stood in the batter’s box and admired it for a moment before rounding the bases, and Skubal definitely noticed.

The next time Neto came up in the bottom of the third inning — with a runner on third and one out — Skubal blew Neto away with a high fastball.

While Neto walked back to dugout, Skubal stared him down, and when Neto looked back, they exchanged some words.

It looked like Neto said, “You got me once,” and Skubal said, “Yeah, I got you.”

Tempers continued to rise, and players from both teams poured onto the field, but nothing happened. The umpires issued warnings to both teams, and that was the end of it.

For now.

Neto led off the bottom of the sixth and muscled a ball out to shortstop. Trey Sweeney threw him out easily.

The Tigers and Angels still have three more innings to play Friday night, and then two more games this weekend. We’ll see if this dispute goes any further.

Somewhere, Carlos Guillen and Jered Weaver are proud.