The benches cleared during Friday's Milwaukee Brewers-New York Mets game.

Rhys Hoskins, who formerly played for Mets rival Philadelphia Phillies, slid late at second base while Jeff McNeil was covering the bag. McNeil was covering the bag after a ground ball was hit to third base, and he was receiving the throw from the third baseman. McNeil lost the ball in the transfer but Hoskins was still called out.

McNeil took exception to Hoskins' slide. He was likely upset about the possibility of an injury.

Video via SNY:

McNeil immediately began shouting and pointing at Hoskins. That led to the bullpens and dugouts both clearing as the Mets fans booed Hoskins.

Hoskins later gave McNeil a crybaby gesture as the Mets infielder continued to yell at him.

The slide was controversial, but the Mets announcers said it was technically a “clean slide.” Still, Hoskins slid past the base and into McNeil's leg, which certainly could have been dangerous from an injury standpoint. Thankfully, McNeil stayed in the game.

Hoskins and McNeil addressed the incident after the game, via SNY.

“He (McNeil) just seems to be complaining when things aren't going well,” Hoskins said. “I think that's kind of one of those moments. Maybe lost in the heat of the game.”

“Just a late slide,” McNeil said. “We've had a little bit of a past. I knew that there was a chance that he'd be coming in like that. Just didn't like his slide. I was not trying to turn a double play at all, I was just trying to catch the ball. There was no need to break it up. Didn't like it
 He's had some pretty questionable slides at second base for sure.”

McNeil later acknowledged that it was indeed a “legal slide.”

This isn't Rhys Hoskins' first incident with Mets

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Rhys Hoskins (17) reacts after striking out against the New York Mets during the third inning at Citizens Bank Park.
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Again, Rhys Hoskins previously played for the Phillies. New York and Philadelphia are rivals, and Hoskins was in the middle of a previous incident.

In 2019, Hoskins was almost hit in the head by two pitches with Philadelphia trailing New York 9-0. Hoskins crushed a two-run home run in a later game against the Mets and took his time running the bases. In fact, Hoskins reportedly took 34 seconds during his home run trot, per Dayn Perry of CBS Sports.

The Mets and Phillies have had tension over the years. It's clear that Hoskins, even though he's on the Brewers now, isn't exactly a favorite in New York.

Hoskins' fresh start with Brewers

Milwaukee Brewers infielder Rhys Hoskins poses for a portrait during photo day at Maryvale Baseball Park.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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Hoskins played a pivotal role for the Phillies during his time in Philadelphia. He offered plenty of power from the right-side of the plate while providing respectable defense at first base.

Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery following the 2022 season. Hoskins suffered an injury in spring training before 2023, which opened up first base. Harper returned as a designated hitter during the 2023 campaign, and later began playing first base as opposed to the outfield.

The Phillies ultimately made the decision to permanently move Harper to first base which signaled the end of Hoskins' career in Philadelphia. Hoskins previously opened up on leaving the Phillies.

“It's a special place,” Hoskins said of Philadelphia in February, via Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “There were a lot of frustrating years in there, and now what you're seeing is a lot of pent-up emotion from those fans cheering on their team. They're pretty easy to root for with the type of players they have on their team. that's why the city has rallied around them like they have. 
 I accomplished a lot of life things there, so it will be different when I go back, but it's going to be great, too.”

Now Hoskins is playing for the Brewers, but still has tension with teams like the Mets. After all, he had spent his entire career playing with the Phillies before this season.

Hoskins has a chance to make a pivotal impact for a Brewers ball club that has been searching for extra offense over the years. He is more than capable of smashing 30 or more home runs while getting on base at a respectable rate.

As for Friday's game, Hoskins and the Brewers ultimately defeated McNeil and the Mets 3-1.