White Sox say Josh Donaldson’s Jackie Robinson comment triggered bench clearing

NEW YORK — Benches and bullpens emptied during the fifth inning of the White Sox’ 7-5 loss to the Yankees Saturday at Yankee Stadium, with no punches thrown but tempers flaring — especially Sox shortstop Tim Anderson’s — after Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal and Yankees designated hitter Josh Donaldson exchanged words at home plate.

Donaldson and Anderson had words at the end of the third inning after Isiah Kiner-Falefa’s inning-ending flyout to right field. As Donaldson, who was on first base, came into Anderson’s vicinity near second, Sox third base coach Joe McEwing and second baseman Leury Garcia stepped between Anderson and Donaldson as Anderson made his way back to the dugout.

“He made a disrespectful comment,” Anderson said. “Basically tried to call me Jackie Robinson. I don’t play like that. I don’t need to play at all. I wasn’t really bothering nobody today but he made a comment and it was disrespectful and I don’t think it was called for.”

When Donaldson came to the plate in the fifth, Grandal got close to his ear and said something that led to the benches and bullpens emptying. Anderson, visibly upset, had to be restrained by Jose Abreu, who kept a firm hold on Anderson even after they returned to the dugout.

“This game went through a time where a lot of those comments were made, and I think we’re way past that,” Grandal said. “It’s just unacceptable. I thought it was a low blow.”

There were no .punches thrown or ejections. After the dust settled and the game resumed, Donaldson struck out against Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez.

“I want to make sure I got my teammate’s back,” Grandal said. “There’s no way you’re allowed to say something like that. It’s unacceptable.”

The Yankees led 6-3 at the time, scoring all their runs including four on a DJ LeMahieu grand slam against Dallas Keuchel. The Sox got three on a three-run homer by Abreu and narrowed the deficit to 6-5 in the sixth on doubles by AJ Pollock, Leury Garcia and Josh Harrison against righty Michael King.

A sacrifice fly by Anthony Rizzo in the sixth made it 7-5. The Sox (19-20) had 11 hits but were 3-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base. The Yankees improved to 29-10.

Anderson and Donaldson, playing third base, got into it last Friday in the Yankees’ 10-4 win at Guaranteed Rate Field when Anderson, diving back to third base on a pickoff attempt, was tagged hard and was pushed off the base by Donaldson.

“We had an opportunity to get a pick right there and I thought we were gonna get him,” Donaldson said then. “It’s a baseball play. Obviously, he didn’t like that.

“Competitive guys, two guys competing, trying to make a play happen right there.”

Donaldson has gotten into it before, including a spat with Lucas Giolito last June after he homered against the right-hander. At the time when a ban on pitchers using substances was going into effect, Donaldson yelled “It’s not sticky anymore.”

Said Giolito: “He’s a [bleeping] pest. That’s kind of a classless move. If you’re going to talk s–—, talk to my face. Don’t go across home plate and do all that. Just come to me.”