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Royals, Orioles confront after pitch hits Blaze Alexander in hand

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 12, 2026, 10:04 PM

Last updated Jul 12, 2026

Royals, Orioles confront after pitch hits Blaze Alexander in hand

Summary

The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Kansas City Royals 8-2 on July 12, 2026. Tensions escalated in the seventh inning when a pitch from Royals reliever Lucas Erceg hit Orioles infielder Blaze Alexander, leading to both teams' benches clearing. Despite the confrontation, no fights occurred, and no ejections were made. Alexander suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left hand and will be unavailable when the team resumes play against Houston after the All-Star break. Erceg expressed that the pitch was unintentional as frustrations mount for both struggling teams.

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By the Numbers

•Blaze Alexander hit by pitch, led to dugouts emptying
•No punches thrown, no ejections during the incident
•Alexander has a.312 batting average and is a key player for the Orioles
•Royals dropped to 21 games under.500 with this loss
•Both teams dealing with significant frustration in the current season

Latest Updates

10:04 PMYahoo Sports — Royals, Orioles show frustration during dugout-emptying confrontation

What they're saying

"
The frustration of struggling through a lackluster first half of the season became alarmingly evident Sunday for both the Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals. An errant pitch from Royals reliever Lucas Erceg that struck Baltimore's Blaze Alexander on the left hand resulted in both dugouts and bullpens emptying onto the field near home plate during the seventh inning of the Orioles' 8-2 victory.
— Yahoo Sportsby DAVID GINSBURG

Related Teams & Leagues

Baltimore Orioles MLB Baseball