Players from both teams massed in the infield after Andrés Giménez was hit by a pitch. Emilee Chinn / Getty Images
In a rare World Series occurrence, the benches cleared Saturday at Rogers Centre in response to a verbal exchange between Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Justin Wrobleski and Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Andrés Giménez.
Batting in the bottom of the fourth with the Blue Jays ahead 3-1, Giménez saw three high-and-tight fastballs from Wrobleski. When the third of those — a 96.4 mph four-seamer — hit the Blue Jays’ No. 9 hitter in the right hand, Giménez glared and barked at Wrobleski. Wrobleski responded in kind. That triggered a brief and ultimately uneventful clearing of both teams’ dugouts and bullpens.
After some jostling that resulted in no punches or ejections, warnings were issued to both clubs.
Order had barely been restored when Toronto’s George Springer smoked a comebacker off Wrobleski for a single, putting runners on first and second with one out. Wrobleski proceeded to strike out Nathan Lukes before being lifted for Tyler Glasnow. Glasnow, who jogged in from the bullpen for the second time in a matter of minutes, got Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to line out to end the inning.
Bench clearings in the World Series have been uncommon.
One notable example: In Game 2 in 2000, the Mets and Yankees poured onto the field after Roger Clemens threw a jagged piece of Mike Piazza’s bat in Piazza’s direction. No punches or ejections ensued.
In 1985, Cardinals pitcher Joaquin Andujar had to be restrained from going after home-plate umpire Don Denkinger while pitching in a blowout Game 7 loss in Kansas City. Manager Whitey Herzog took Andujar out of the game, and both were then ejected by Denkinger, who had angered the Cardinals with a pivotal blown call the night before.
— The Athletic’s Tyler Kepner contributed to this report.
Nov 2, 2025
Connections: Sports Edition
Spot the pattern. Connect the terms
Find the hidden link between sports terms
Play today’s puzzle