Victory dance

"I was upset they took him out of the game. He's good to hit. He's 9-15. The guy [stinks].

"I don't know what he was thinking. I don't think too many of his teammates thought much of what he was thinking, either. It just made him look even more stupid for doing that."

Considering they were about to lose their 11th game in a row at home, a franchise record, it stands to reason that it would not take much to set off the Orioles.

Not enough Jujubes in the clubhouse candy dispenser. An off-key note during the national anthem. A bat boy cracking a joke at the wrong time.

Or, as was the case for Cabrera, the sight of Crisp dancing down the third base line in the fourth inning, his feet tapping out a dare even if there was no taunt on his lips. Coco's cha-cha so unsettled the pitcher that he stopped in full windup, allowing Crisp to trot home on the balk.

"Not too many guys go from the windup when I'm on third base," Crisp said. "I've never stolen home, but I was going to right there, if I'd had another step. But it wouldn't have happened, because he stepped off.

"I was thinking about it. He wasn't looking at me. I don't know if he forgot about me over there or didn't think I was going to go because we've hung out a couple of times, cool acquaintances. But I don't know if that stuff stands, because I'm trying to win a ballgame and situations occur on the field."

Cabrera's next pitch went behind the head of the batter, Pedroia, which elicited a warning to Cabrera from plate umpire Mike DiMuro. Sox players charged from the dugout, with Kevin Youkilis and Bobby Kielty in the vanguard, barking at Cabrera, who gave it right back. Catcher Ramon Hernandez was equally agitated and made a move toward the Sox dugout, which prompted Boston relievers to vault over the bullpen wall in their haste to join what had the makings of a full-scale skirmish.

Umpires restored order before anyone got too overheated. The only physical damage inflicted was to Cabrera's shirt, ripped open as he tried to break away from first base umpire Bill Welke. Cabrera was ejected not for taking target practice at Pedroia, but for his aggressive actions afterward during the near brawl.