It started off as a routine flyout. Colorado Rockies starter Cal Quantrill drew a fly ball to center field from Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire, which was easily caught for the final out of the fourth inning.

Then words were exchanged and things quickly escalated from there.

Both benches and bullpens emptied after Quantrill and McGuire got into it, prompting a brief dustup as both sides tried to defuse the situation. No one was ejected and the game continued without incident from there.

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— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) July 24, 2024

The altercation was sparked by a comment made by Quantrill to McGuire as he walked off the mound, which prompted the catcher to immediately turn around and confront the Rockies pitcher. Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran was particularly heated and had to be held back by coaches and pitcher Nick Pivetta.

The incident occurred 20 years to the day after the famous brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees in 2004, which started after Jason Varitek pushed Alex Rodriguez in what became one of that season’s most indelible images.