In the heat of a tight AL Central race, tensions boiled over for the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night—and not just because they dropped a 10-3 decision to the Boston Red Sox. With the division lead hanging in the balance, the Tigers had a golden chance to seize sole possession of first place. Instead, they stumbled, and the night took an ugly turn.

The real drama unfolded in the fourth inning. After surrendering back-to-back home runs, Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez unleashed an errant pitch that struck Red Sox star Trevor Story. The hit batter ignited a benches-clearing confrontation, casting a shadow over what was already a tough loss.

Tigers manager AJ Hinch didn't mince words when addressing the incident afterward. "We play a really good brand of baseball here. That didn't feel like it," Hinch said, via ESPN. "It's not judging intent; I have no idea. But I know when you go out on the field, and you end up sort of in those confrontations, you usually feel like you're in your right. And it didn't feel good being out there."

Hinch added, "So I understand their frustrations. I understand the moment, and it was a low moment of a frustrating night."

The loss leaves the Tigers tied with Cleveland atop the AL Central, but the team is stumbling at a critical juncture, going just 4-6 in their last 10 games. With a chance to avoid a sweep in Boston on Wednesday, Detroit will need to regroup quickly—both on the scoreboard and in the clubhouse.