It seemed like an innocuous enough play. Red Sox reliever Chris Martin drew an inning-ending grounder and covered the first base bag for the out. Then an argument between him and Milwaukee’s first base coach Quintin Berry broke out, prompting both teams’ benches and bullpens to clear onto the field.

Following the game, Martin explained what happened to spark all the drama.

“I probably said some things under my breath that was directed towards that inning, I’ll let you all determine what those things were,” Martin said. “Heat of the moment, they bunted twice, you see they bunted at the end of the game. I didn’t like it. I know it’s part of the game but it is what it is.”

Martin was referring to the two bunts the Brewers attempted against him to start the top of the seventh. Blake Perkins first reached on a bunt single to third, and immediately afterwards Brice Turang moved him to second on a sacrifice bunt, which Martin fielded and threw to first for the out.

Did he feel disrespected by the Brewers approach?

“Honestly probably a compliment, maybe they don’t think they can get a hit,” Martin said. “I don’t know, I feel like in this league, swing the bat.”

Martin went on to say incidents like Sunday’s aren’t a good look, but in the heat of the moment things happen and in this case he and Berry both had things to say. He added that he had no prior problem with Berry, a former teammate with whom he played on the Pawtucket Red Sox back in 2013, and he doesn’t have an issue with him now.

“No, I don’t have beef with him now,” Martin said. “We’re competing, emotions get hot and things happen.”

Following the game Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said his understanding was Martin showed some emotion and his people felt it was directed at them. He also noted this isn’t the first time the Brewers have been involved in a benches clearing situation and that his team is willing to stand up for itself if the situation calls for it.

“I don’t know if it really was or wasn’t, I’m not going to speculate what the kid was doing, but if you’re staring at someone and saying it, it could be interpreted that you’re saying it to them,” Murphy said. “We take offense to if you’re going to yell at us and say something and make it personal, we’re going to stand up for ourselves. But I’m glad it didn’t lead to anything more than that.”