Rick Porcello, Kevin Youkilis Ejected as Beanballs Lead to Brawl at Fenway

Boston's Kevin Youkilis and Detroit's Rick Porcello were ejected in the second inning of Tuesday night's Red Sox-Tigers game after Youkilis charged the mound, threw his batting helmet at Porcello and tackled him.

The Red Sox infielder took exception when the 20-year-old Tigers right-hander hit him with a pitch. It was the second time in the last two nights a Detroit pitcher has plunked Youkilis.

"At some point you have to do something to protect yourself as a hitter," Youkilis told reporters (via WEEI.com). "It was something I have never done before, and never thought of ever doing but at some point ... I lost my control there and let my emotions get the best of me.

"Two days in a row and the way it was going I had enough of it. ... I felt like I had to do what I had to do"

But tensions between the two clubs -- both of whom would qualify for the playoffs if the season ended today -- have run high all series, and the Red Sox are not the only team that has watched a star player get hit with a pitch.

Detroit slugger Miguel Cabrera was also hit in both games of the series, departing in the top of the second inning with a bruised left hand, and his counterpart on Tuesday, Victor Martinez, was brushed back by Porcello in the bottom of the first.

The young right-hander had considerably less to say than Youkilis after the loss.

"The only thing I have to say about that is I was not intentionally trying to hit Kevin Youkilis. It was unintentional," Porcello said.

The consequences of the ejection were almost immediate for the Tigers. Chris Lambert, Porcello's replacement, came in and, after surrendering a single to David Ortiz, promptly served up a three-run home run to Jason Bay. Mike Lowell, Youkilis' replacement, homered twice in his stead to turn a 3-0 Red Sox deficit into an eventual 7-5 win.

Any potential future discipline of Porcello would probably have a minimal impact on Detroit down the stretch. Suspensions for starting pitchers usually result in one missed turn in the rotation, something the Tigers might actually welcome as they continue to take extra care with the youngster's prized right arm.

The effect on the Red Sox figures to be the exact opposite.

Youkilis will almost surely be facing a suspension -- there isn't much room for interpretation about your actions when you chuck a batting helmet at someone. In the tightening AL wild-card race, Boston can ill afford to lose on of its best hitters.

In the short-term, the Red Sox, chief among them Lowell, feasted on a far inferior pitcher to Porcello to come further out of the funk they were in last week.

Some fans in Boston believe the infamous July 24, 2004 brawl, which featured Jason Varitek and Alex Rodriguez as the main combatants, sparked that team to its World Series run, but Youkilis was quick to downplay any positive impact this brouhaha would have on the 2009 team.

"Hopefully we'll never have to get a team going like that. Hopefully I can do it playing the game of baseball. It happens in baseball sometimes and hopefully this will be the last time it ever happens," he said.

Don't be surprised to see that theory floated again in the coming weeks if the Red Sox take off, no matter its validity. Boston lost six straight to Tampa Bay and the Yankees before opening its series with the Tigers.