Rhubarb with the Red Bulls and Brito Brings It

Happy Easter. Last night, upon her request, I took my septuagenarian mother to her 1st professional soccer game. The New York Red Bulls played the San Jose Earthquakes at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey. Although the score remained 0-0 until relatively late, she found the action rather entertaining.

At 52 minutes in, there was a head-to-head collision between a player on each team. Shortly thereafter, there was some pushing and shoving. Having once again, on our way in, bragged about having been taken by her mother to Ebbets Field as a little girl, something not possible for me, Mom saw the pushing and shoving, and mentioned the term that Brooklyn Dodger broadcaster Red Barber used for such an event: A "rhubarb." I called it "extracurricular activity." Given her love of France and its language, I should have called it a "contretemps."

Certainly, what followed was "against time": 18 minutes of no action. The officials conferred with the players and the opposing managers. No one could figure out why play was stopped, even though, as it always does in soccer, the clock kept moving. At each end of the stadium, there are big screens, which look like television screens, but they don't play the TV broadcasts. Some stadiums and arenas have the TV broadcasts at the concession stands, and some pipe the radio broadcasts into the restrooms, but the Red Bulls don't do either of those things. So everyone in the crowd was just guessing.

I had to take my phone out and go on Twitter, and found out that the game's broadcast crew had said that there had apparently been a racist remark made by one of the Red Bull players to one of the Earthquake players. Since I don't have the full details, it would be irresponsible to comment further.

After the game, Major League Soccer released a statement saying that they would investigate, but didn't name the players involved. The Red Bulls also released a statement, saying that they would fully cooperate, and, "The New York Red Bulls do not condone any form of harassment or discrimination."

Play finally resumed in the 72nd minute. The Earthquakes scored in the 80th. I had never before seen, either live or on TV, more than 10 minutes of stoppage time (or "injury time") awarded. This time, it was 21 minutes. And, in the 107th of the intended 111 minutes, Tom Barlow scored for "Metro," and it ended 1-1.

Mom spent her formative years across the Passaic River, in Newark, Belleville and Nutley. She says she wants to go again, but that we're taking the train instead of driving. A wise decision.

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At the same time, the Yankees were playing. No controversy there, unless you count that of Brian Cashman assembling a starting rotation with lots of injury-prone guys. Fortunately, Jhony Brito was every bit as good in his 2nd start for the Yankees as he was in his 1st. Brito was bringing it, going 5 innings, allowing 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks. Between them, Michael King, Wandy Peralta and Clay Holmes went 4, allowing no runs on 1 hit and 2 walks.

That kind of pitching deserves offensive support. And when most Yankee Fans saw that Aaron Hicks was starting in left field -- batting 7th instead of 9th, adding insult to injury -- we figured, such support was not coming.

But, Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. With the Yankees trailing 1-0 going into the top of the 4th, Anthony Rizzo led off with a walk. Giancarlo Stanton popped up, but Gleyber Torres drew a walk. Oswaldo Cabrera nearly hit one out, but it wasn't quite far enough. Hicks was up next, and from Albany in the north to Atlantic City in the south, from Montauk in the east to Scranton in the west, we were sure that the opportunity was wasted. Except Hicks stroked one up the middle, and Rizzo scored the tying run.

Then came the 5th. Rookie Anthony Volpe led off with a triple. DJ LeMahieu doubled him home. A wild pitch got DJLM to 3rd. Aaron Judge got him home with a sacrifice fly. Rizzo grounded out. And Stanton sent the O's a message: "So, you wanna move that left field fence back? Hold my beer." Hit hit one 436 feet.

That made the score Yankees 4, Orioles 1. And it stayed that way until the end. WP: Brito (2-0). SV: Holmes (2). LP: Cole Irvin (8).

The series concludes this afternoon. Nestor Cortés starts against Tyler Wells. Then the Yankees head off to Cleveland.