This time, there were no fireworks.
Tyler Austin faced Boston right-hander Joe Kelly in the bottom of the eighth on Thursday for the first time since they were involved in a bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park on April 11 after Kelly drilled Austin and the Yankees first baseman charged the mound.
In Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Red Sox, Kelly faced Austin after issuing a leadoff walk to Gary Sanchez while trying to protect Boston’s one-run lead.
Austin swung at the first pitch and briefly put a charge into an anxious Stadium crowd when the ball headed to left, but it landed harmlessly in Andrew Benintendi’s glove for the first out.