Fireworks erupted in American Family Field on Tuesday night, as the Milwaukee Brewers' 8-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays was overshadowed by a dugout-clearing brawl. Lingering tension evolved into chaos, with ejections following and suspensions surely to come.

After stepping on first base to retire Siri in the eighth inning, Brewers pitcher Abner Uribe apparently bumps him with his shoulder (might have also said something). As the reliever walks away, Siri seemingly fires back with a response. Trouble soon arises.

The two men draw closer to one another, and Uribe initiates the physical confrontation by throwing a strike at his fellow Dominican. Siri retaliates, causing madness to ensue. The umpires and players are unable to immediately diffuse the situation, but order is eventually restored.

Although it is not clear what was said between the two individuals, this incident did not exactly occur out of the blue. The struggling Siri crushed a 452-foot home run in the third inning, which he briefly admired, to give Tampa its first run of the game. A few innings later, starting pitcher Freddy Peralta hit the 28-year-old in the leg with a pitch on a 3-0 count. The 2021 All-Star was ejected without warning. Brewers manager Pat Murphy argued the umpire's decision and was also tossed.

Usually, an officiating decision such as this one is intended to prevent a melee from breaking out. Well, no amount of firm discipline appeared to be sufficient on this night. Cooler heads did not prevail, and now an interleague rivalry might have just been born.

It will be interesting to see if there is a sequel to this face-off when the small-market clubs battle it out in the rubber match of this series on Wednesday. A controversy-filled week continues for the Brewers.

The MLB-watching world reacts to crazy Brewers-Rays brawl

Unsurprisingly, there were varying reactions to this exchange. “The Brewers got upset that Jose Siri hit a 452 foot home run off them so they hit him the next at bat and then tried to fight him after that,” Jordan Moore of DraftKings posted on X. “Embarrassing for Milwaukee.”

Others felt differently, opting instead to say something positive about the Brewers flamethrower. “I’d kill for Abner Uribe on my team, this dude is such a dog,” MLB content creator Marc Luino said.

Nevertheless, many people will question why the Brewers engaged in a dispute with an opposing player during a blowout. Freddy Peralta denied intentionally throwing at Siri and insisted that the home run antics did not bother him in the slightest. Fans remain unconvinced of course, particularly those who are familiar with baseball's unwritten code.

Clarity is not something often gained in matters like these. Sometimes, things escalate and tempers flare. But maybe the two men directly involved in the fight can help everyone make sense of it.

Jose Siri, Abner Uribe address the brawl

Both athletes explained their actions, painting the other as the instigator. Siri says he had a problem with the shoulder brush Uribe gave him on his way back to the mound, per Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun. He claims to have then asked the 23-year-old why he bumped him, to which Uribe said, “because I felt like it,” according to Siri.

Uribe's account features a notable distinction, one that the right-hander attributes as his reason for starting the brawl. “I think there were some words shared that didn't have much to do with the game that probably shouldn't have been shared there in that exchange,” he said postgame, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Todd Rosiak.

As expected, there is still confusion surrounding the incident. In any case, both players are going to be disciplined by the MLB. Abner Uribe will presumably receive a harsher punishment since he swung first. Beyond the consequences, however, the Brewers and Rays should be able to swiftly move on from this wild game.

They are trending in opposite directions to start the 2024 season, with Tampa Bay (14-17) sitting in last place in the AL East and Milwaukee (18-11) locked in a heated race with the Chicago Cubs for the National League Central lead. Therefore, both teams are especially determined to begin May on a high note on Wednesday.

Now, there will be even more motivation to win. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. ET.