Morning Sports Update
“The one guy who caused it is hiding in the back.”
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch argues with Willson Contreras after a benches-clearing moment with the Red Sox on Tuesday. Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images
May 6, 2026 | 10:36 AM
3 minutes to read
Red Sox announcers call out Tigers pitcher: During the eventual Red Sox rout of the Tigers on Tuesday (Boston emerged as 10-3 victors), one moment drew attention after the benches cleared in the fourth inning.
Following back-to-back Boston home runs from Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu, Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez hit Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story with the next pitch (a 94 mph fastball).
Story was not amused, and neither were Red Sox announcers on the NESN broadcast.
“That’s so tired,” remarked Boston color analyst Will Middlebrooks.
“You can’t get him out, so you throw at him,” he added. “What a joke.”
The former Red Sox infielder continued his blunt assessment of Valdez.
Framber Valdez gives up back-to-back home runs, then drills Trevor Story on the first pitch 😬
Benches clear and Valdez was ejected 👀👎 pic.twitter.com/scjOrFJY2z
— NESN (@NESN) May 6, 2026
“The one guy who caused it is hiding in the back,” he said.
“That is weak,” concurred play-by-play announcer Dave O’Brien. “You give up three home runs, back-to-back shots, and then you drill Trevor Story.”
Valdez’s past — in 2025, he hit his own catcher with a 93 mph sinker after an apparent mixup with what pitch was called — also bubbled to the surface in the NESN description of the dustup.
“Well let’s just hope he doesn’t cross-up his catcher now that he’s mad,” Middlebrooks concluded.
Tigers announcers were perhaps unsurprisingly more sympathetic, pointing out that Valdez was ejected without having been issued a warning by umpires and that the insinuation that Story was hit intentionally was disputable.
Interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said he thought the move was intentional from Valdez and called it “weak.”
Valdez, speaking through a translator after the game, insisted that he had not been trying to hit Story.
“It was not intentional. It was not on purpose. It might look like that, but it wasn’t,” he told reporters.
“I consider [the ejection] completely unfair,” he added. “First of all, they should have given me a warning. If it was on purpose and I do that a second time or a third time, of course. But getting ejected, I’m not making the decisions.”
Trivia: Will Middlebrooks hit 15 home runs and posted an .835 OPS in 75 games as a rookie in 2012, but can you recall who won American League Rookie of the Year in 2012?
(Answer at the bottom.)
Hint: He’s gone on to win three MVPs, all playing for the same team.
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox clobbered the Tigers 10-3 on Tuesday. The two teams play again in Detroit today at 6:40 p.m.
On Friday, the Fleet face the Charge in Ottawa for Game 3 of the two teams’ best-of-five semi-final playoff series. The matchup is currently tied at 1-1.
Legacy FC face Gotham FC on Saturday at Sports Illustrated Stadium in New Jersey at 6:30 p.m.
And the Revolution face the Philadelphia Union at Gillette Stadium on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Red Sox hit parade: Having struggled to generate offense for much of the season, Boston achieved a comparative eruption of hitting against Detroit on Tuesday.
On this day: In 2000, Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez pitched one of the best starts of his career — matching a career-high with 17 strikeouts and yielding just six hits and one run in a complete game — but lost to the Devil Rays 1-0.
It was a moment emblematic of the Red Sox in that particular time: One of the most dominant pitchers of all-time somehow losing amid a masterful performance. The Boston lineup was without Nomar Garciaparra and produced just three hits as Tampa Bay’s Steve Trachsel matched Martinez’s complete game, striking out 11 in the process.
Daily highlight: Ausar Thompson completed the chase-down block in the Pistons’ Game 1 win over the Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
AUSAR ZOOMS UP THE COURT FOR THE CHASEDOWN BLOCK 🚫
Pistons hold the lead in Game 1! pic.twitter.com/SyFAaKfPuc
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2026
Trivia answer: Mike Trout
Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.
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