Benches empty as tensions flare in Marlins’ sweep of Giants
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Tensions boiled over during the seventh inning of the Miami Marlins’ 12-5 win over the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on Thursday.
Giants first baseman Wilmer Flores struck out in the bottom of the seventh inning and was frustrated with the first base umpire for calling him out on the check swing.
As Flores expressed his frustration with the first-base umpire, Marlins pitcher Cade Gibson started towards Flores and started yelling at him before being pushed away by the team’s coaching staff.
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San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores, middle left, is held back by Jung Hoo Lee, middle right, and umpire Alfonso Marquez while reacting toward Miami Marlins players after Flores struck out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
While Gibson was being pushed away, Flores tried to go towards him but was held back by teammate Jung Hoo Lee. The benches and bullpens emptied, but there was never a scrum as the umpires and coaches kept their respective teams on their sides of the field.
Order was quickly restored and play resumed. The Marlins, invigorated by the benches clearing, scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning to make it 12-5 and put the game out of reach.
The benches clearing was not the only contentious moment in Thursday’s game.
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Miami Marlins bench coach Carson Vitale, second from left, gestures players toward the dugout after San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores struck out for the final out of the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
In the Marlins’ 8-5 win over the Giants on Wednesday, the three Giants batters were hit by pitches. The Giants retaliated in the first inning of Thursday’s game when starting pitcher Hayden Birdsong drilled Marlins No. 3 hitter Otto Lopez with the first pitch of the at-bat.
Both teams were warned following the hit-by-pitch, which Marlins manager Clayton McCullough took issue with. He argued the warning with home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez and was ejected for it.
Despite not having their manager for essentially the entirety of the game, the Marlins went on to win and complete the three-game sweep over the Giants.
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San Francisco Giants’ Wilmer Flores, left, is held back by Jung Hoo Lee, middle left, and umpire Alfonso Marquez, middle right, as Willy Adames, right, stands nearby while reacting toward Miami Marlins players after Flores struck out to end the seventh inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Thursday, June 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The Marlins (34-45) will look to maintain their winning ways when they take on the Arizona Diamondbacks (41-39) on Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET.
The Giants (44-37), who have lost eight of their last 11 games, will look to turn things around when they take on the lowly Chicago White Sox (26-55) on Friday at 7:40 p.m. ET.
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